The Hands of Fate
by Anonemuss14
Summary: The prophecy surrounding The Titan's Curse was never finished. The Oracle goes silent. Those that should have died will live, and those that should have lived will die. These are the signs of a coming apocalypse that the gods believed impossible. They fought the truth with all their might, but it will come to pass, unless... a hero can rise to stop it. AU Story.
1. Chapter 1

**Just so you know, this is my first fanfic. I don't mind flames, but if people begin to think that they can tell me how to write this story or when I'm "supposed" to update, those review will be sent straight to tartarus and if I get three such reviews from the same person, they will be blocked. With that said, as far as beginnings go, I know that this one sucks. All I have to say is, read **_**T****h**_**_e Titan's Curse_© up until this point and switch over, easy fix. **

**Disclaimer: You know the drill, I do not own TTC, PJO, HoO, ABC, or 123. Everything in this story (excluding about 70-ish% of the plot line, quite a bit of the actual writing, and one OC) belongs to one Mr. Richard Riordan of San Antonio, TX. ( I don't know if that's his full name so don't take my word for it.)**

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We were in Mr. Chase's car on our way up Mt. Tam. to save Annabeth and Artemis, fight Luke and one of the strongest Titans, who I just now learned is Zoë's dad, and our situation only got worse as I caught sight of a very familiar cruise ship docked in the sea below us.

"Look!" I cried to Thalia and Zoë. Unfortunately we rounded a bend and the ship was lost to sight.

"What?" Thalia asked.

"A big white ship," I said. "Docked near the beach. It looked like the _Princess Andromeda_."

Her eyes widened. "That can't be good."

"This wasn't going to be easy to begin with," Zoë said. "This just makes it harder."

I had to agree with her. I had barely survived my fight with Ares two years ago, and Atlas was supposed to be much stronger. I was about to answer when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I smelled ozone in the air. Thalia shouted, "Stop the car. NOW!"

Zoë didn't argue and slammed on the break. The yellow VW spun twice before coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff.

"Out!" Thalia opened the door and practically threw me out of the vehicle. I didn't see what happened next as a massive boom shook the world around me. I looked up and saw Thalia on her side a short distance from me. I got up slowly and walked, or stumbled, over to her and my heart sank. Embedded in her midsection was a piece of jagged shrapnel from the car. I sank to my knees next to her and cradled her head in my lap.

"Thalia," I said, I instantly realized that the lightning bolt had temporarily deafened me and probably Thalia too. Her eyes slowly drifted to my face and she shakily remove Aegis in its bracelet form from her wrist and handed it to me. The message was clear; she was dying and knew it.

"We can get some ambrosia and…" I drifted off as Thalia shook her head and pushed Aegis into hands. Then she said two words that I barely heard. Save Annabeth. I nodded.

"I will, Thalia," I said and was glad that I could hear again. "I'll save her and stop Luke. I promise." She smiled softly and nodded before her eyes glazed over she stopped breathing. I allowed a few tears to fall through before I closed her eyes and turned to the skies.

"Zeus, I know you don't like me, and I have nothing to offer you, but take Thalia's body back to camp so she can have a proper funeral," I said. Somehow I knew that the lightning bolt wasn't his, he would never kill Thalia. Thunder echoed across the sky and a massive eagle flew down and landed before me. It had electric blue eyes that told of intelligence and grief. It nodded and grabbed Thalia's shoulders with its talons and flew into the sky.

"What happened?" Zoë said behind me. I turned to her and saw that tears had come to her eyes. "Did Thalia…" her question hung in the air until I shook my head after a few moments of fighting back tears. This sent Zoë into a new wave of tears and sent her to her knees. For several minutes neither of us moved, we just sat there and let grief overwhelm us. I looked at Aegis in my hand. Looking at it reminded me of my promise and I stood.

"Come on," I said to Zoë in a soft tone. "We have a quest to finish." She stared at me for several seconds before nodding and standing as well. Together we turned and walked further up the mountain and into the mist.

"Stick close to me," Zoë said. "The mist is meant to mislead any who try to enter. But it shall not affect me." I nodded and it wasn't long before we came to the dwelling place of the Hesperides, the Garden of Twilight. Under normal circumstances I would have been amazed by its beauty, but this soon after Thalia's death, it just made me angry that anything this beautiful could still exist in the world. As such, I wasn't very surprised by the hundred or so headed dragon, or the four girls that materialized into existence right be side us. They looked just like Zoë and could only have been the Hesperides.

"Sisters," Zoë said. I noticed that she used the voice that she reserved for addressing boys if she ever did, disgust mixed in with contempt.

"We do not see any sister," one of them said coldly. "We see only a half-blood and a hunter. Both of whom will soon die."

"No one else is going to die today," I said in such a menacing voice that I shivered inwardly. "Except for you unless you get out of our way." I could see surprise and fear in their eyes.

"Very well," the one who had spoken earlier said with slightly less dignity that before. "But you will die, our father will make sure of it." With that the Hesperides disappeared back into shadows.

"That went better than I had expected," Zoë said beside me. "Now we merely have to get past Ladon."

"Will that be hard?" I asked. I didn't want to fight that dragon if I could help it.

"No," she said. "Just stay as far from the tree as possible." I nodded and we began to slowly walk around the edge of the garden. We reached the other side without incident and run up a small rocky path towards the summit and what could be my toughest fight yet.

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**Well, that's done. Now the time has come to press the ever important button just below the bold font. I would, however ask that you read the aforementioned bold font. While I will accept most every review I do or do not get, I would prefer if no one left the lame praise only reviews. (e.g. I like this story, update soon.) That is not helpful at all. Instead, I would ask that you only submit a review if you have criticism, constructive or otherwise. **

**P.S. I will only update if I get seven (useful and/or positive) reviews within the first week.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everybody, first off I'd like to thank those that chose to review. Secondly, in your reviews, you are making a lot of assumptions that may or may not be accurate. Now, to take after a friend of mine, I will answer some of the reviews.**

**To Guest: thank you for being the first reviewer. I might, but the only way to find out is to keep reading. **

**To Denis: I will keep that in mind and thank for that informative reviews, that is what I like to see.**

**To Orlok Tsubodai Bahadur: first off, awesome name. Second, I agree with you and that is one of the reasons I began writing this.**

**To Le Diablo Blanc2: who said she would live, to find out for sure, keep on reading.**

**Disclaimer: I.O.N.A.R.G.T.R.R.**

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Zoë and I climbed toward the summit and were met by massive piles of black marble. They had a subtle sense of order to them and I thought I saw a half intact pillar a few yards away.

"What are these doing up here?" I asked.

"These are the ruins of Mount Othrys," Zoë said. "During the first war, this was the fortress of the titans. Think of it as an anti-Olympus."

"Oh, I'm guessing that it moved here with the rest of western civilization," it wasn't really a question, as I knew the answer.

"Yes," Zoë said. "And the fact that it has appeared here is a very bad thing."

"Why?" I asked.

"This is Atlas's mountain where he used to hold up the sky," she explained.

I didn't respond and merely let this new information sink in. We pushed forward through the rubble until we reached the summit. A few yards ahead of us, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains.

"My lady!" Zoë rushed forward, but Artemis said, "Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now."

Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. I had never seen a goddess in pain before, but the wait of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis.

Zoë was crying again. She ran forward despite Artemis's protests and tugged at the chains.

A booming voice spoke behind us: "Ah, how touching."

We turned to see The General standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and a dozen dracaenae bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. Annabeth stood beside Luke with her hands bound behind her and a gag in her mouth. Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat.

I met her eyes and saw a fear in them that she usually reserved for spiders. She was sending me one clear message: RUN. As I looked at Luke though, he had his eyes narrowed in what might have been annoyance.

"Where is she?" he asked. "Where is Thalia?" His voice was angry, but also… afraid. Either way, hiding the truth wouldn't help at all.

"She's dead," I said. "Kronos killed her with the lightning bolt." Luke's expression went from confusion to fear, then anger, then back fear, and stopped on horror.

"No," he said. At first I thought it was from the loss of an old friend, but then he continued speaking. "Now my plan is ruined, he'll use the other way." This made little to no sense to me, then he became angry again and lashed out with Backbiter at the nearest thing: Annabeth. The bronze and steel blade found her neck and in less time than it took to blink, Annabeth was dead on the ground in a pool of her own blood. In that instant, I felt my world crash around me. As I looked at the body of one of my best friends, I felt empty. Then it was all replaced by anger, I saw red and I looked down into my left hand. In it was Thalia's bracelet, her shield, Aegis. Unconsciously, I put it on my left wrist and turned to Zoë. We came to an understanding: Luke, then Atlas. I uncapped Riptide, activated Aegis, and charged.

Luke's entourage of dracaenae fled at the sight of my new shield, but Luke held his ground and met my first attack with his sword. Despite his sickly appearance, he was still quick with a blade, but now I had the advantage of a shield. I swung Riptide at his head with all the strength given to me by my rage. He parried it and attacked my legs, only to be met by Aegis. I followed up with slash to his face that grazed his cheek, and probably gave him a new scar. Luke tried to defend himself, but a silver arrow in his right shoulder made his situation even more hopeless.

"Atlas!" Luke yelled. "What are you doing? Help me!" Atlas chuckled behind me.

"I'm sorry, Luke," the titan said in a very non-sorry voice. "But, you see, there are these laws that prevent me from fighting. Don't worry though, I'll tell Lord Kronos of your noble sacrifice." Luke wanted to say more, but was forced to defend himself against me once more. A kick to his chest sent him to the edge of the cliff and as he raised his sword in one last feeble effort of resistance, I used the disarming technique that he'd taught me during our first lesson. His sword clattered to the ground and I raised mine to his throat.

"Give up, Luke," I said. "It's over." Luke froze for a second before replying.

"No, it's not, hero," Luke said in an odd voice. It might have been my imagination, but it looked like his eyes had changed colors, from blue to one being black and the other white. Then he did something surprising. He fell backwards off the cliff down to the hard earth below in an apparent suicide attempt. I didn't know what had just happened, but now I had bigger things to worry about, namely the monster army I noticed was marching up a mountain path towards us, and the titan general right behind me.

I turned to Zoë. "Are you ready for this?" I asked. She seemed both happy that we'd beaten Luke, and afraid that now we had to fight Atlas.

"As ready as can be," she said.

"For Thalia," I said. "And Annabeth." Together, we charged at the titan.

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**Another chapter is done. Now all that's left is the rest of the story. Anyway, review and wait patiently for an update. And I'd like to say that 4 of the 7 reviews I have thus far, are about Percy and Zoë, and Zoë and Percy. Yes, they are the main characters, but romance is not in the genre listing. It might be later on, but for now I want this to be as realistic as possible. I'm not being mean, but just bear with me and keep reading. I'm not giving a review quota this time, and I'll wait just a bit longer to update next time, regardless of the review count, or whether I have the new chapter ready. **

**Arrivederci**


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back one and all. If you are reading this, then thank you. If you are not reading this… I don't know then. Review answering time.**

**To conover7283: yes, it is. Sorry about that, but I had to happen for this story to work.**

**To Orlok Tsubodai Bahadur: it would be nice if the chapters were longer, but because they're this short, it means I can write them quickly. The part that takes the most time is running them past my beta. Suffice to say, they may or may not get longer.**

**To: L. Lawliet-Rue Ryuzaki: for the sake of giving a straight answer for once; yes. But, it is not going to happen soon, as Zoë has been a man-hating hunter of Artemis for 2000-ish years, and Percy did like Annabeth and now she's dead. It would look unrealistic if they started going out right away. Just wait and it will come.**

**To BadassBatman: …thank you for your review. **

**Disclaimer: This is still clearly plagiarism, but since I'm still here… I own nothing and all rights go to Rick Riordan.**

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As we neared him, Atlas glowed with a golden light and when it had faded he wore full Greek armor. A massive bronze javelin appeared in his right hand.

"Come to your death, half-blood," he laughed.

I didn't answer him, but continued to close the distance between us. When I reached him, I swung Riptide at his right arm. My blade met the shaft of his javelin and the sound of metal striking metal rang out. He stepped back and jabbed at me with his weapon and I raised Aegis to meet it; though I was safe from injury, the force of impact made me stumble back several paces.

"Ha!" Atlas said. "You may have been able to fight that pathetic excuse for a war god, but I'm far beyond his level." I knew he was right, but I wasn't going to say that. Atlas lunged at me again; his javelin came at me from my side. I tried to raise my sword to block; tried is the key word there. For some unknown reason, my sword weighed a ton and I couldn't defend myself. At the last second, I moved Aegis to defend. Again, I stumbled back and didn't see the blunt end of Atlas's javelin until it smashed into my left leg. The impact sent a wave of pain through my body and I dropped to my knees. Riptide fell from my hand. The next thing I knew, Atlas had his free hand around my throat and was lifting me into the air as if I weighed nothing. He then proceeded to throw me across the courtyard where I landed against a broken marble column.

When the black spots in my vision had cleared, I looked up to see Atlas with his javelin raised for the kill.

"Die in vain, demigod," he said. He would have killed me, had a silver arrow not come out of nowhere and found a chink in his armor. The titan growled in pain and anger as he turned towards the source of the arrow. I turned as much as I could in my position and saw Zoë standing upon a pile of black rubble with her bow raised. She then grabbed another arrow and shot it at Atlas's head. He dodged it and began to walk towards her.

"Very well, daughter," he said this last word like an insult. "You shall die first."

He advanced on Zoë, but before he reached her, she jumped off the marble and ran off into the maze of rubble. Atlas now groaned in annoyance, but chased after her nonetheless.

"Running and hiding will not save you, Zoë," Atlas said. "I will find you and kill you like the traitor you are."

Now that I had a moment, I inspected my leg. The moment I touched it, a spike of pain spread across my body. It might have been broken.

"Percy," a voice whispered beside me. I jumped from surprise and my pain erupted in pain again.

"Damn it… gods, Zoë," I said through gritted teeth. "Don't do that."

"Sorry," she said, "what is the plan?" she asked. I thought about it for a moment.

"We don't stand a chance against him," I stated. My eyes drifted across the courtyard and came to rest upon Artemis. A light bulb began to flicker on in my head. "But maybe we don't have to," I added.

"What do thee mean?" she asked with confusion written across her face.

"Artemis," I said. "If we can get her out from under there, then she could fight him. She'd certainly have a better chance than us." She contemplated it for a few moments. Farther into the ruins, I could hear Atlas cursing as he failed to locate Zoë.

"Perhaps," she said. "But how shall we accomplish this task?"

"I'll take the sky from her," I said. "_The Titan's curse must one withstand_." This line from the prophecy made sense now. I had to take the sky so Artemis could fight Atlas.

"No!" Zoë shouted/whispered. "It would crush thee."

"And Atlas will kill us if I don't," I reasoned. Zoë looked like she wanted to argue, but instead she sighed and nodded.

"Fine," she said, "but if you die, I will go to the underworld and throw you into Tartarus." I couldn't help but smile.

"Deal," I said. I tried to stand, but the moment I put weight on my left leg I dropped back to the ground in pain. I cursed in ancient greek at this setback. Then I felt Zoë gab my arm and put it over her shoulders. With her help, I stood and we stumbled over to Artemis.

"Lady Artemis," I said.

"Boy," she replied through gritted teeth.

"We need your help," I began. " We can't fight Atlas, but you can."

"As much as I would love to help you, I can't," she said through the pain.

"I know, that's why I need to take the sky," I explained. For a moment I saw surprise on her face before it was replaced by pain once again.

"You can't be serious," she said. "You'll die from the pain long before the weight overcomes you." I heard an explosion behind me signaling that Atlas had run out of patience.

"We don't have a choice, my lady" Zoë said. Artemis's eyes darted between us for a moment before relenting.

"Fine," she said. "Cut these chains and kneel beside me." I reached into my pocket for Riptide. I knew I couldn't cut the chains so I handed it to Zoë, and took my place beside the goddess of the hunt. Even with Artemis's help, the pain was unlike anything I'd experienced before; I couldn't even see it was so intense. To attempt to describe it would be to tell you of living hell. Then the pain doubled, if that was possible, and I knew that Artemis was free. For what felt like millennia, I knelt there as the sky slowly crushed me. Then all of a sudden, it lessened. I was able to open my eyes just enough to see Zoë beside me, assisting me with the burden of the sky. I turned my gaze toward the courtyard and saw Atlas jabbing at something with his javelin. It took me a moment to process that it was Artemis; she was literally running circles around Atlas and leaving long gashes where she'd been. She was good, amazing really, but I could see that for all her skill and speed, she wouldn't be able to defeat atlas before she made a mistake and he defeated her.

As I thought this, I saw that mistake. He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. But, Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin for the kill.

"The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed down.

As fast as thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backwards, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her. I saw him coming down on top of us and I turned to Zoë to make sure she knew what would happen. She nodded and we both loosened our grip on the sky. As Atlas crashed into us we let go entirely and let ourselves fall back.

Even through the pain, I could hear Atlas's roaring in anger if not the actual words. I turned to see Zoë lying beside me, breathing heavily as she let the pain subside. I too was in immense pain, but when I put a hand to my leg, I was shocked to discover that I couldn't feel it at all. Then Artemis was beside us.

"Are you both okay?" she asked with concern written all across her face. We could both do little more than nod.

"My lady," Zoë croaked, "Percy is wounded." Artemis turned to me and noticed my hand on my leg. She put her own hand on it and looked surprised.

"It is impressive that your leg is still attached, boy," she said. "Count yourself lucky." Her words didn't help at all, but I wasn't going to say anything that I might regret. Then her hand glowed with a silver light and feeling began to seep back into my leg.

Thank you, lady Artemis," I said. She nodded in turn and I dragged myself to my feet. I then reached out a hand to help Zoë. She hesitated for a moment, but took it and stood up.

"We need to leave," Artemis said. Barely had the words left her mouth that the monsters began to pour over the side of the cliff. I reached for Riptide, but stopped as I heard a roar behind us and I saw a biplane soar over us and begin gunning down the first line of monsters.

"Dr. Chase?" I muttered to myself.

"Run!" he yelled over the noise of his engine, gunfire, and dying monsters.

"Brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come, we must leave now." As she finished, she pulled out a silver hunting horn and its sound rang out across the valley.

"Wait!" I cried. "Annabeth." I ran towards her body; I knew that she was dead, but I wasn't going to just leave her here. I carried her body back towards Artemis and Zoë as a silver chariot landed beside them. Pulling it was the most beautiful deer I had ever seen; not that I see a lot of deer in New York. Zoë helped me put Annabeth's body in it and we climbed in as Artemis took the reins. Dr. Chase joined us as we flew off into the night sky.

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**And chapter 3 is done, not much to say. Keep reading and reviewing. If at all possible, no more two word reviews, you know who you are. I don't know when I'll update next, but I'm not going anywhere anytime soon so just be patient and I promise I'll make chapter 4 as good as it can be. Though it won't have a whole lot of action in it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome back readers, critics, friends, enemies, writers, artists, other people left out of this list. Anyway, I won't answer reviews as none of you actually asked any questions, so we go directly to the chapter after a word from our sponsors.**

**Disclaimer: This story is brought to you by T.I.N.M.A.R.G.T.R.R. (This is not mine, all rights go to Rick Riordan.)**

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We landed at Crissy Field not long after and walked up to Dr. Chase. There was an awkward silence between us as neither side wanted to speak first. Finally, I decided to break the ice.

"Thank you for saving us, Dr. Chase," I said weakly. He nodded slowly and tears welled in his eyes.

"But, I didn't save you," he said. "Not all of you." I couldn't respond to that.

"There was nothing you could have done, Mr. Chase," Zoë said in an effort to consul the man before us. He raised a hand to his eyes and shook as silent sobs racked him.

"She's gone," he said between sobs of grief. "My little girl is gone." I felt so guilty inside.

I didn't trust myself to speak for fear of breaking down as Dr. Chase had.

"Yes, she is gone from this life," Artemis said. "But you might be able to see her again." At her words, Dr. Chase pulled himself from his mourning and stared at her with surprise and hopefulness.

"Really?" he asked tentatively. "How?"

"She was a hero, her soul resides in Elysium," she said. "Live your life in the best way you can. Love your family, help others, and do good; and when your time comes, you will see her again." Dr. Chase's face brightened at this thought and before I knew it, he had his arms around Artemis in a hug. I thought that Artemis would turn him into a jackalope or something. Instead, she gave him a few awkward pats on the back.

"Thank you," Dr. Chase said. "Thank you so much." He let go of Artemis and turned to me. He hesitated before speaking. "Percy, I might be just a mortal, but I know something is going on. Whatever this "something" is, that is the reason that she is dead. Don't let her die in vain."

"I won't, Dr. Chase," I said. "I promise." I choked on my last word. The last promise I'd made was to Thalia, to save Annabeth. Aegis grew heavy on my wrist and I looked down on the silver bracelet.

"We must go now," Artemis said. "The winter solstice is upon us, and I'm needed on Olympus. Come as quickly as you can."

"We will, my lady," Zoë said. Artemis nodded and returned to her chariot.

"I'll return Annabeth's body to Camp Half-Blood," she said.

"Thank you, lady Artemis," I said.

She turned away, and then looked back. "You did well," she said. "For a man."

It took me a moment to realize that this was the first time she had called me a man instead of boy. I felt a sense of honor to say the least. _'Thank you,'_ I thought.

Then, she was gone in what appeared to be a flash of moonlight.

"That was surprising," Zoë said beside me.

"What was?" I asked.

"Lady Artemis usually won't be in the presence of a male, rarely speaks to them, and never let's them hug her," Zoë replied.

"Oh," I said. Even if I had wanted to finish, I was interrupted by the sound of flapping wings. I looked up to see two pegasi swoop over us and land nearby. I couldn't help but notice that one was black.

_Yo, boss!_ Blackjack called. _How ya been?_ He tried to put up a cheerful façade, but I could tell that he was uneasy about something.

"I've been better," I replied. "You?"

_Yeah, I'm alright_, he said. _I, uh, heard about your friend. Zeus's girl; you, um, need anything, boss?_

"Just a ride to Olympus," I replied. How fast can you get us there? I asked indicating Zoë and me. This perked him up.

_How 'bout you climb on and find out,_ he said with his old bravado. _I brought Guido with me, just in case. _The pegasus in question nodded his head.

"Thanks, Blackjack," I said and climbed aboard the Pegasus Express.

"Goodbye, Dr. Chase," I said. "I hope we see each other again soon."

"So do I, Percy," he said. "Good luck."

"Ready to go?" I asked Zoë.

"Mostly," she said. "It has been some time since I last rode a pegasus."

The flight went by fast for me; I'd look down occasionally and see long streaks of lights as we flew over cities and towns at unimaginable speeds. Though, mostly I'd think about my latest battle, the fight with Luke. _'No, it's not, hero,' _Luke's words kept coming back to me and it failed to make sense. His eyes, they were different as well. I knew that they were connected somehow, somehow…

"We are here," Zoë said. I looked up and found that she was right we had arrived at Olympus. I had been to Olympus once before during my first quest, it had amazed me then and it did so now too. The massive structures of marble and gold, the music, the lights, the inhabitants themselves. Olympus was the most amazing place I had ever been or probably would ever go. We circled once before landing just outside the throne room of the gods.

"Ready to go in?" I asked Zoë.

"We've come this far," she replied.

As one, we entered the throne room of the Olympian Council. I could tell that it had just begun as most of the gods were standing up and the few that were sitting were talking quietly. Everything stopped as the turned to us; it was a bit unsettling to have thirteen powerful lords of existence turn to you at once. Zoë must have felt the same thing since she stopped at the same time I had.

"Good, you made it," Artemis said. With all I've been through, it shouldn't be weird to see a twelve year old girl standing among fifteen foot tall giants and be at ease, but it was. We bowed to the council in general and stepped forward. I looked at each of the gods in turn.

Zeus was understandably sad and wasn't talking. My father, Poseidon, was sitting silently in his throne and appeared uneasy, like he'd rather be anywhere but here. Hades was sitting in a simple stone chair; not a throne, a chair, and also looked sad for some reason. Next was Hephaestus, or I assumed it was Hephaestus, and he was tinkering with a few pieces of scrap metal, like Tyson did when he was nervous. Apollo sat in his throne and was deep in thought with a look of unease on his face. Hermes was talking on his cell phone with his right hand, texting with his left, and somehow using a using a laptop with his feet; so, he was busy in every sense of the word. Ares, well Ares just glared at me. Mr. D. sat on his throne and looked to be on the verge of falling asleep.

On the goddess's side, I saw who had to Hera to Zeus's immediate left and appear to be the only one there that was happy. It took me a moment, but I identified the next goddess as Demeter, she was talking with the woman next to her, a gray-eyed woman who could only be Athena, Annabeth's mom. I felt angry, sad, and alone again as I thought of my friend, but I knew that Athena must be worse. The goddess of wisdom was crying and her aunt, Demeter was doing her best to consol her, it didn't seem to be working. Next was Aphrodite, she too was crying; for what, I don't know.

All in all, the mood was of sorrow and fear. I understood why Zeus and Athena were like they were, but Apollo, he'd seemed so carefree the last timed we'd met. What had happened to throw him off?

"Percy," a familiar voice said to me. I looked down from the gods to see Grover in front of me; he looked like he'd been crying.

"Hey, Grover," I said lamely. "I see that you got Bessie here safely." I noticed that the sea-cow-snake-thing in question was suspended in the air by a sphere of water in the corner.

"Yeah, I did," he replied. "Percy, what happened? At first, I felt sad and Lord Zeus did too. Then I felt angry and I don't know why… what happened?"

I paused for several minutes as I fought off my emotions. Then I said, "Thalia died, Grover." I saw his face go white with my words. "Then… then Luke killed Annabeth." I choked a bit over my words as the emotions rose again. Through our empathy link, I knew that Grover was doing the same thing.

"Now that we are all here," Artemis said from the floor. "Let this council come to order." The words were rehearsed, and she spoke like she was used to saying them amongst chaos, this was not the case here.

"I've informed the council of the latest events and measures have been taken. If the titans want a war, we'll be ready."

"So," I began. "Why are we here then?"

"You have done a great deed today," she said. "To rescue me and defeat Atlas, this cannot go unrecognized."

"Wait!" Ares said from his throne. "We can't let this punk live. He's a threat to us and should be destroyed."

"I will not have my son destroyed," Poseidon said, his bronze trident in hand. "He's a hero worth of praise, and I will not hesitate to destroy anyone of you that think otherwise." It felt good to have my father stand up for me, though I hoped that he wouldn't vaporize anyone and create a war over me.

"Come on!" Ares cried. "Athena, you have to see the danger here, dad…" he trailed off as Zeus rose from his throne.

"There has been enough blood spilt on this day," he said with sorrow in his voice. "This _is_ a day a day worth celebrating; but not for me, not for Athena, not for my nephew here. The will live."

"Alright, fine," Ares growled. "But what about the monster? We can't leave it around, can we?"

"Perhaps," Athena said absently. "It would probably be safest to destroy it."

"Or," Hades spoke up. "We could just leave it under lock and key, the titans won't be on Olympus tomorrow, or the next day. For now, it will be safe here."

I didn't know why Hades had defended Bessie, but I wasn't going to argue; in fact, I was about to say the same thing.

"Hephaestus," Zeus said. "Could you create some sort of aquarium or something to house and protect it?" The god of forges thought for a moment before answering.

"A better question is how quickly can I build one; yes, it can be done." He said. Zeus nodded.

"Good, good…" he said softly before drifting off. "Well," he said at last. "I suppose that a celebration is in order." Mr. D. woke up at his words.

"What about a party?" he asked.

"We beat Atlas, so we're going to celebrate," Hermes whispered to him.

"Oh, can I drink wine?" he asked to Zeus.

"Just this once," the king of the gods said drearily. A smile appeared on Mr. D's face and he stood up.

"Well, what are we waiting fo-" his sentence was cut off by Zoë.

"Actually, I have something to say," she said.

"What is it, my lieutenant?" Artemis asked. Zoë hesitated before continuing.

"Well, it's just that, my lady," she said. "I am no longer worthy of leading the hunters." Her words were the bombshell that no one expected, least of all Artemis.

"Wh… what do you mean?" the goddess asked with shock written across her face.

"Bianca, our newest member, the least experienced of us, is dead because of me," Zoë said. It might have been my imagination, but I thought I saw Hades stiffen at the mention of my dead friend. "I forced her to join us on this quest and she died because of it. The others would follow my orders almost as willingly as they would thee, and I do not wish to risk more of their lives, so I wish to step down from my position as your lieutenant." You could have heard a feather hit the ground on the other side of Olympus in the silence that ensued. Artemis seemed torn between let Zoë go, and keeping her in the hunt. Eventually she sighed.

"Is this truly your choice, Zoë?" she asked with pleading in her voice.

"Yes, my lady," she said. "It is." She would not meet Artemis's eyes and her voice shook.

"Very well then," Artemis said. "But, I'd like you to say goodbye to the others before I release you."

"I will, my lady."

* * *

_It was a strange feeling, to look up and see darkness while a million lights flashed from below. But, it was of little matter to me. The top of the Empire State Building provided an excellent view of the New York Skyline, as well as a means of spying on Olympus. I turned my head to see a flash of silver light streak across the sky and disappear right above me. _

'_Artemis,' I thought. 'Right on time.' Most beings, immortal or otherwise, would not have seen her just now, but I was not like most beings. _

'_The council will have convened by now,' I thought. 'They believe that they are safe after having defeated the titan and the son of Hermes. But, it was not over, not even close.' My white eye flashed as it caught a ray of light, while my black one remained as dark as always._

'_The fates will not stop me this time. This world will be cleansed of its impurity, and equality will reign. It has begun.'_

* * *

**Chapter 4 is done. It was a bit harder to write than the others, and I'm hoping that it was worth the wait. I know that the part with Zoë was against my "keep it realistic" policy, but I had to happen since the hunters aren't even mentioned in the next book. She will play a part in all this and it won't be God knows where with Artemis and the hunters while Percy fights the Titans alone. Anyway, leave a review if you liked it, if you didn't, or if you just want to say something. **

**Arrivederci**


	5. Chapter 5

**Salve omnes, et recipite grata ad istam historiam. I'd like to say a few things before you commence reading: 1) while I love how many of you are favoriting or following this story, I'd like some more input from you guys. (reviews) 2) I'd like to send a shout out to my beta-reader, Adam Black, he's been a huge help on this chapter and I'd like to publically thank him for it. (I'd also recommend looking at his stories and reading them.) **

**Again, no actual questions for me to answer, so we go straight to disclaimer. **

**Disclaimer: this story is a product of my own imagination based entirely off of the great work of Rick Riordan, and I do not claim to own any of it with the exception of the OC.**

* * *

The victory celebration would have been fantastic had I been in a victorious mood. As it was, I didn't participate at all and only sent a few Iris Messages to my mom and Tyson. My mom was surprised and sad when I told her what had happened, and Tyson wasn't much better. They, on the other hand, were experiencing good times on their ends. Tyson would be visiting camp next summer, and my mom had found someone who made her happy. I kept glancing down at Aegis and feeling a sense of guilt over my failed promise. Looking up, the sense of guilt increased tenfold; sitting alone, looking like he had aged 50 years in the space of an hour, was Zeus. Swallowing, I glanced back to Aegis and made up my mind. I walked over to Zeus.

"Uncle," I began. I sounded grave, even to myself. He looked up at me slowly and I saw the true extent of his emotions; anger, betrayal, sadness, grief even a hint of pride for his lost daughter all lay bubbling under the surface.

"Yes, what is it?" he said wearily.

"It's about Aegis," I said and this gained his attention. "Thalia gave it to me before she died and told me to save Annabeth. But I failed and I don't know if I can keep it." I held the bracelet out to him.

"No," he said with a sigh. 'It was Thalia's to give, and she gave it to you. There was nothing you could have done about the other girl, Annabeth's, death. Keep it, it's yours now." I hesitantly placed Aegis in my pocket and thanked Zeus with a bow. He nodded and went back to his mourning.

The party ended and I was heading back to the elevator when I was stopped by Athena. I remembered how she'd helped me a Hoover Dam and I bowed when I realized it was her.

"You were the one," I said. "At the Dam. You saved me."

"You saved yourself," she said. "I just gave you some advice that you would do well to remember."

"I'm… I, uh… sorry about Annabeth," I said lamely. Her formerly impassive face broke right in front of me, and I saw not a dangerous, all-powerful goddess of strategy, but a mother who had lost her daughter. She tried to fight back tears, but a few spilt through.

"It wasn't your fault," she said.

"Everyone has been saying that," I said. "But it is _my_ fault! If I had been quicker, I could have saved her!"

"It was the will of the Fates, nothing could have prevented it."

She made a valid point, but it didn't make it any easier.

"I know how I feel," she said. "But I can only guess how much this is affecting you. What with your fatal flaw and all." Her last sentence gained my full attention.

"My fatal flaw?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

"Loyalty," she said. "Your willingness to do anything to protect those dear to you."

"That's not a flaw," I retorted.

"The worst flaws are good in moderation," she replied. "But think about it; two years ago, your mother was captured and used as bait, then your friend, Grover, and now my daughter. You may not see it, but the enemy does and is, has, and will continue to exploit it."

I thought over her words and found an undeniable truth in them. Kronos had been getting to me through those I cared about.

"What would you have me do?" I asked. "Whether this is a flaw or not, it's a part of who I am."

"Well said," she said with a bit of approval in her voice. "You are correct, you cannot simply be rid of it. All I can say is: exercise caution and learn to let go." With that, she turned and strode away.

I stood there for a moment and thought over what she had said. As clichéd as it had sounded, she was right. I continued on my way to the elevator and rode down in a trancelike state. I didn't notice the bad elevator music, the Empire State Building lobby, the taxi drive to camp, or even walking to my cabin. I came out of it when I heard a soft knock on the door. I opened it to see Chiron. His face looked older than I had ever seen it, and the look in his eyes brought all the guilt crashing down on me again. In his hand he held a bead necklace, Annabeth's necklace.

"Chiron… I," he held up his hand to stop me.

"It's alright, my boy," he said. "However much we hate it, these thing happen, and they happen far more often than one would imagine."

"I asked Zeus to bring Thalia's body here and Artemis said that she did the same with Annabeth," I told him. He nodded.

"They are here," he said with a glance in the direction of the big house. "Their funerals will be tomorrow. The Athena cabin has already made a shroud, and the whole camp pitched in for Thalia's."

I didn't respond, I couldn't.

"By the way," Chiron said as he was walking away. "Zoë asked that you go to the forest, Zeus's Fist to be exact."

"Why?" I asked.

"She wouldn't say," he said. "But it seemed important."

I checked to make sure that I had Riptide and walked toward the forest. Within a few minutes I was at Zeus's Fist and saw that all the hunters were assembled there and in the middle of an argument.

"What do you mean you're leaving!?" one shouted. I think her name was Phoebe.

"Bianca is dead because of my reckless decision," Zoë replied. "I do not wish to endanger any of thine lives again."

"That's ridiculous, Zoë," someone else said. "You made a mistake, it happens. But that doesn't mean that you have to leave the hunters." Zoë shook her head.

"Thee do not understand," she said. "Bianca was young, inexperienced, the most unfit for such a quest, and I forced her to go to her death."

"Is that really it?" a hunter asked. "Or are you hiding something?"

"I do not follow," Zoë said with confusion in her voice and upon her face.

"Is Bianca really your reason for quitting, or is it something else? The hunter asked.

"What does thou mean?" Zoë asked.

"You broke your oath, didn't you," the hunter accused. "That boy, Jackson, he went on that quest with you. You broke your oath with him, didn't you!"

"How dare thee!" Zoë said with obvious indignation. I didn't know whether to be offended or not. The damage was done, now that it was out in the open, the other hunters latched onto it and their sadness and pleas gave way to anger and accusations. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop!" I said and instantly wished that I hadn't. The hunters were intimidating when they don't have a specific reason to hate you. If they do, no matter how false it is, they are down right terrifying.

"Zoë hasn't broken any oaths," I told them. "She's the same as when she began the quest."

"Why should we believe you, boy?" the hunter who'd accused Zoë asked. Demanded was a better word than asked.

"If you won't believe him, then believe me when I say that this man speaks the truth," Artemis said as she stepped from the shadows of the tree line.

"But, my lady…" the rogue hunter spoke up.

"Enough, Isabelle," Artemis said. "Zoë's reasons are true, and I will respect them." The hunter called Isabelle stood down.

"Now, does anyone have anything to say before Zoë is released from her bonds?" the goddess asked. Silence.

"Very well then," she turned to Zoë. "Zoë Nightshade, Daughter of Atlas, First Lieutenant of the hunt, and my dear friend, you have served you time at my side and now choose to step down from your position. Is this your final decision?" The last question seemed layered, like Artemis was saying something to Zoë that no one else heard.

"Yes, my lady," Zoë answered with all of her vast amounts of dignity. "I have loved my time with the hunt, and will cherish the memories always, but my time has come to leave."

"Then, by my power as goddess of the hunt, I release you from your oath." Artemis said. "May the stars guide you."

Zoë bowed. "Thank you, lady Artemis." The transition from "my lady" to "lady Artemis" marked the finality of Zoë's decision. The other hunters noticed it and most left as quickly as they could, some with tears in their eyes or on their cheeks. Phoebe and Artemis stayed behind and Zoë took her silver tiara and passed it to Phoebe.

"Where will you go now?" Artemis asked.

"I… I do not know." Zoë said.

'Why not here?" I asked.

"The forest?" Phoebe said mockingly. I rolled my eyes.

"No, Camp Half-Blood," I said.

"They will not accept a daughter of a titan," Zoë said.

Maybe not," I agreed. "But they will accept a hero." She gave me an odd look before a small smile crept to her face.

"Thank… you," Zoë said. Her pronunciation was bad, but it was a start. I laughed a bit.

"We'll work on it," I said.

"How about thee teach me to speak modern," she said. "And I shall teach thee archery." I paled at the thought.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

"Thee were able to hold up the sky, how hard could shooting a bow be?" she said.

"You'd be surprised," I said in all seriousness. She laughed, and it was a nice laugh. Something that made the world seem brighter for a moment. But I knew that dark times were coming. The titans were rising, and somehow I knew that they weren't alone.

* * *

_Camp Half-Blood, a safe haven for the children of the gods, or so they thought. Their barriers had done nothing to keep me out, nor had they prevented the four skeletons from entering. The skeletons were only at the borders, not far enough in to raise alarms. Even Argus, the hundred-eyed sentinel of this place hadn't noticed them, and probably would continue to do so. However, I saw the fate that would befall these powerful creatures. I may yet have use for them. _

"_You don't want to do that," I said form the shadows. The four skeletons whirled to face me. They all had swords in their hands and probably knew how to use them; perfect._

"_If you continue on your current path, you will find naught but your own destruction," I told them. They considered my words._

"_Instead, come with me, serve me, and when the time is right, the boy will be yours," I said. They glanced at each other and communicated in the chattering tongue of theirs. Finally, one stuck out its arm and our deal was struck. _

'_I've made my move. Now the fates must make theirs.' I thought. _

'_I will be ready.'_

* * *

**Chapter 5 is over, need I say more; actually, I do. Because I'm not getting any actual feedback from you, I'm reinstating the review quota, but am dropping it to 5 reviews. Also, I forgot to say this last chapter and almost forgot this time, but school has started back up for me, and I'm busy most nights. I'll try to review at least once a week, but that might not be how it happens. That's all for now, review if you have any questions, and I hope you do, or would like to criticize me for being a bad author, or just any feedback.**

**Arrivederci **


	6. Chapter 6

**Welcome back everyone, this chapter is meant to give a little insight as to what I've been dangling in front of your faces for the last few chapters. Not an explanation, mind you, just insight. i expect plenty of questions. **

**To Guest: this is not a "Titan's Curse story" as you've called it, this is actually the last chapter that takes place in the Titan's Curse.**

**To I'm Pretty Much Still Here: thanks for that, and you're right, I'm not a shakespearean scholar, but I have people who help me with the finer points of Zoë's special method of speech. Which I intend to do away with eventually.**

**Disclaimer:** **Do I still need this? Yes, yes I do. I own nothing, and all rights go to Rick Riordan, etc etc...**

* * *

I had a dream last night. Not a regular dream, mind you, but a demigod dream. It started out with me standing in the lobby of the DOA Recording Studios and it looked the same as last time. Every available seat was taken as well as most of the floor. Charon sat behind his desk and leafed through some paperwork while a crowd of shades was gathered before him. I couldn't hear what they said, but based on their movements and gestures, they were pleading with him. Charon ignored them. Then, my attention was drawn to a small corner of the lobby. In it stood three shades that looked different than the others; I didn't pay them much mind, until I noticed the stormy gray eyes. I walked over and discovered that they were Annabeth, Thalia, and Bianca.

"Hey, guys," I called. They didn't turn around. I waved my hand in front of Annabeth's face, but she didn't even blink.

"What the Hades,' I muttered to myself. "It's like _I'm _the ghost."

"Alright," Charon said from behind his desk. "Everyone who's paid the toll, get on the barge. Everyone who hasn't," he said with an annoyed glance at the begging crowd before him. "Sit down and wait your turn."

A small percentage of the crowd actually moved to the small elevator that was Charon's magical boat. I was relieved to see that Annabeth, Thalia, and Bianca were among them. I followed, not wanting to be left behind, and slipped onto the barge unnoticed. The cramped elevator became a large boat with Charon at the aft holding a long steering pole. Soon, we reached the River Styx. The thick black water was polluted with the forgotten dreams of those that had come before. There were wedding rings and baby clothes, torn diplomas and certificates, I even saw a snow globe in there. I watched as the barge's occupants threw in their own dreams. As they did, their clothes dissolved into black robes and their skin became transparent. Then, I saw items appear in my friends' hands. Thalia's spear was in her hands, a silver bow in Bianca's, and a big roll of paper for Annabeth. One by one, they walked to the edge of the barge. Thalia held her spear over the edge and I thought that she would drop it, but she pulled back and held it close. Next, Bianca held her bow over the edge, and she too kept it. Finally, Annabeth was the one at the edge. The roll of papers had many lines and numbers on it, so I assumed they were blueprints. Annabeth's dream to become an architect was bundled up in that roll of paper, and I felt deep sorrow for her. I saw a lone tear trace its way down her cheek before she let go of the paper and it fell down to the depths. Annabeth's skin became that of a shade and black robes appeared on her. Thalia and Bianca looked around in confusion, and I knew that they'd lost sight of Annabeth. Their mouths formed words, cries of desperation, but no sound came forth, and no shade stepped forward.

Finally, we reached the other side. Thalia and Bianca, after waiting until all others had exited the barge, disembarked and walked towards the Judgment Pavilion; among the crowd of dead in the E-Z Death Line, I saw one ghost turn and stare after Thalia and Bianca before turning back to the line.

I followed Thalia and Bianca towards the pavilion. They talked among themselves, but I still didn't hear a word. Halfway to the pavilion, we were stopped by a cloaked figure. The person was clothed in a black and white cloak and a hood that hid his face. Thalia and Bianca stopped and said something to him.

"No, I don't work for Hades," the stranger said. His voice identified him as a man. "Please, I only need but a moment of your time," he said. Thalia frowned but nodded. The man stepped forward and placed a finger against Thalia's forehead. He held it there for a second before pulling away; however, a glowing electric blue thread was attached to the end of his finger. He held it between two fingers and examined it as Thalia stared at it in astonishment. She said something to him.

"Yes," he replied. "This is your Life Thread. Every essence of your past, present, and your future are contained in this thread." As he finished, he drew a large pair of golden scissors from his cloak and held them up to the thread. Thalia's expression turned to that of horror and she lunged at the man, but it was too late; he had cut the thread and Thalia passed right through him. I could only watch as Thalia's form grew fainter and fainter, until she was gone. Bianca had tried hitting the stranger, but her blows never made contact. In a flash, he grabbed both of her arms and brought his knee up to her stomach. Bianca doubled over in pain with her, now released, arms crossed over her abdomen. Her attacker bent down and placed his finger against her forehead; again, he extracted a Life Thread from her body, this one was black. He held the scissors up to the thread, and hesitated.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I only needed to be rid of the other two. But, I can't allow you to go running off to your father with information about me. I truly am sorry." He cut her thread. Bianca faded out of existence, just as Thalia had. The man's words had caught in my ears. '_I only needed to be rid of the other two.' _Thalia was one, and Annabeth had to be the other.

"It never gets easier, you know," the man spoke beside me. "Well, I guess that you wouldn't know, would you?" He turned to me as if I were his audience.

"You are," he said. "I know that you're there, I know that you saw everything, and I know that you must want to kill me right now. But, if you value your existence at all, then stay out of it."

"Why should I?" I asked, my voice dripping with hatred. "Why shouldn't I hunt you down and kill you for what you've done." He laughed at my words.

"Your naivety is refreshing, it truly is," he said. "Even if you could find me, and you couldn't, then you'd have to accomplish the task of actually killing me. I'm going make this very simple for you, boy. Stay out of my way and I won't destroy your camp." His words held no emotion in them; they were the words of one who didn't care for other's lives, the words of a murderer.

"And one other thing," he said. "I don't want word of these events to reach Olympus. If you tell them, Chiron, or any of your demigod comrades, then I will destroy your camp and erase from existence the very thought of 'half-blood'. Do I make myself clear?" I hesitated for a long time before I grudgingly nodded n defeat.

"Good," he said. "Now, be gone." He placed his finger against my forehead and I awoke in cabin 3. My body was soaked in cold sweat, and the clock read 2:00 A.M. I reached under my pillow and grasped the familiar form of Riptide. Merely holding the weapon made me feel safer. I fell back against my pillow and tried to continue sleeping; I couldn't.

The next morning, I felt worse than I had in a long time. When the conch horn sounded for breakfast, I dragged myself out of bed and into some clothes. I walked slowly towards the dining pavilion and sat down at the Poseidon table. When the nymphs passed around the food, and it came time for the sacrifice, I dropped all of my food in the brazier. After last night's events, I wasn't hungry. I sat at my table alone until someone sat down across from me. I looked up to see Zoë. The moment she saw my face, she took on a look of concern.

"Art thou alright?" she asked.

"I've been better," I admitted. "I… I had a nightmare last night." Her concern grew. Even without being an actual half-blood, she knew about dreams and their significance.

"What was it?" I hesitated for several seconds before answering.

"It was nothing," I lied. "Just a bad dream." She looked angry now.

"Very well," she said. "If thou wilt not tell me, then I shall alert Chiron of thy dream."

"No!" I said. "You can't." I knew that if he found out, Chiron would extract the information from me, one way or another.

"Then tell me," Zoë demanded. I sighed. She wasn't technically a half-blood. I just hoped that my loophole was legitimate. I told Zoë about my dream from beginning to end, excluding the part about Annabeth and her blueprints. By the end, Zoë was concerned again.

"This is most unsettling," she stated. "As far as I know, the only beings that can manipulate the Life Thread are the Fates themselves."

"Whoever this was," I said. "He obviously wasn't one of them." She nodded.

"Maybe we should- " her sentence was cut off by Chiron's voice.

"Attention heroes, attention," he said. "I have some news to give to all of you; some good and some… not so good." His words were met by absolute silence. He had everyone's undivided attention.

"As you may or may not have noticed," he said. "We have a new camper among us today. Everyone, let us welcome Zoë Nightshade into our camp." Zoë stood up and arguments rose up immediately. Number one among them was from the Ares cabin.

"She's a hunter!" they protested. "She doesn't belong here." The Aphrodite cabin was in complete agreement with them. The Apollo cabin remained oddly silent, not wanting attention for once. Chiron struck his hoof against the stone ground.

"Enough!" he shouted. "As of last night, Zoë is no longer a hunter. With nowhere to go, Percy Jackson invited her to remain here." This earned me many glares from almost everyone present.

"Now, I expect you all to treat her with the same respect you would give any other camper here," Chiron said. The other campers continued to glare at me, but sat down.

"Who's her godly parent?" a camper from Ares cabin asked. Chiron hesitated before answering.

"Atlas," he said in a quiet voice. It may have been quiet, but everyone heard it and rose up in protest once more. Chiron tried to regain order, but failed. I heard the many things they said about Zoë and felt anger well up inside me. Finally, I let it out.

"ENOUGH!" I shouted, somehow the very earth shook with my voice. "Zoë's father may be Atlas," I said. "But she fought alongside me against her father, risked her life to defeat him, and saved my life. She may not be a half-blood, but she's still a hero!" I remained standing as the others stared at me with mixed fear, embarrassment, and anger in the case of Ares cabin. They sat down and Chiron gave me a thankful smile.

"Now then, if there will be no more interruptions," he said. "We switch over to the bad news." The atmosphere changed from anger to apprehension. They all knew the bad news, but many wanted to hear it from Chiron directly.

"We've recently lost two of our greatest and most beloved campers in the course of the latest quest," Chiron said solemnly. "Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, and Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, have passed on from this world and an honorary burning of their shrouds will take place at the campfire after dinner. That will be all." Everyone returned to their meals, if not their conversations. Some spoke softly amongst themselves, but the pavilion was as silent as the grave.

"I thank thee for standing up for me," Zoë said after a spell.

"What are friends for," I said. She smiled softly.

Breakfast ended and the campers went about their daily activities. Zoë said that my training in archery wouldn't begin until after the funeral, but she still wanted me to pick out a bow. We walked down to the armory, which was really just an old shed behind the forges, and looked through the array of bows that had been stock piled there. It was like looking for a sword all over again; none of them felt right in my hands. If I complained a bit, Zoë would punch me and tell me to keep looking. Finally, I came to one that felt, while not perfect, better than the others.

"That is the bow of Orion," Zoë said.

"Orion?" I asked. "You mean the constellation?"

"No, the one for which the constellation comes from. Orion was once a great hunter. So great that he gained the respect of Lady Artemis. What is more, he was a son of Poseidon."

"Really?" I asked. "A son of Poseidon being good at archery?"

"It is not impossible, Percy," she said. I looked at the bow in my hand. It was carved by hand out of a lightly colored but strong wood, and had ancient Greek letters etched into it. I recognized some as saying "Ocean" and "Moon". The string was loose, but looked good as new despite having sat in an old shed for Zeus knew how long.

"I'll take this one," I declared.

"Good," she said. "Tomorrow, we begin your training."

We exited the shed, but were stopped outside by Nico Di'Angelo. For the hundredth time in two days, I felt overwhelming guilt wash over me.

"Where is Bianca?" he asked. "She wasn't with the hunters yesterday. Where is she?" I didn't know how to respond, and shared a glance with Zoë.

"Um, Nico," I said. "There's something we need to tell you."

"She's dead, isn't she?" he blurted out. "I knew it, I felt her." His words surprised me. _'Felt her?' _I recalled the stranger from my dream's words again. _'I can't allow you to go running off to your father.'_ Bianca's father could only have been Hades; but that meant…

"Nico, please calm down," I said.

"No!" he shouted. "You promised! You said that you'd protect her, but you lied! You lied to me, and Bianca is dead!" the earth began to shake and ethereal green flames sprang up from small crevices around Nico.

"Nico…" I reached out a hand to him, but he pushed it away.

"NO! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screamed and ran off in the direction of the woods. I began to walk after him, but I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Let him go, Percy," Zoë said. "He needs time." I took one last look at the forest, but did as Zoë said.

I didn't see Nico for the rest of the day. Not at lunch, not at any of the training areas, not at dinner, and not at the campfire for the funeral. I tried not to concentrate on him, but it was either that or my failure to save my friends. There were two mounds of wood with two bundled objects on them; one was electric blue with designs of lightning bolts on it, the other was gray with owl designs covering it. When everyone was seated, Chiron steeped forward with a torch.

"Would anyone care to speak a few words?" he asked. Zoë stood and walked up to him. Many campers glared at her, but she ignored them.

"I have known Thalia for some time now," she began. "In the beginning, I disliked her for her naivety, however, during our quest, I came to think of her as a sister and a dear friend. May her spirit find peace in the next life." She glanced at me when she spoke the last line. We both knew that she hadn't found peace. Grover stood up next.

"I've known Thalia for years, and Annabeth since she was a little girl," he said. "I've watched Annabeth grow from a small scared child into a fierce and strong warrior. Thalia was a leader, a warrior, and a friend. I can't say whom I'll miss more. Thank you." He sat down. Chiron looked at me, but I shook my head. If I stood up there, I knew that I'd either break down or reveal my dream or both. Chiron nodded and placed some drachmas on each of their eyes before lighting the fire. The flames from the shrouds burned brightly, while the campfire was down to embers and was either black or just out all together. Zoë and I sat there and watched the last of the flames die down long after everyone else had left. In the silence of the night, I remembered back to my dream. The man who'd "killed" my friends when they should have gone to Elysium. His taunting voice came back to me. I felt anger, hatred towards him, and I vowed to do whatever it took to make him pay.

* * *

**This chapter is longer than the others, and I hope they continue to get longer, but that is yet to be seen. **

**There are 35 of you who are following this story, so I know that I'm not being unreasonable when I raise the review quota to 10 reviews.**

**Also, seeing as almost none of you are getting the message, go right ahead and submit the small, insignificant, praise only reviews. I'll try to think of them as encouragement. **

**Thank you all for reading this story and I hope that you continue to do so.**

**Arrivederci**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello readers, I'm back. This is chapter 7 of Equinox, and it will be noticeably different than the others. I'll say right up front that it is in Artemis's POV. I like that I got more reviews, but the whole "leave a review for each chapter" loop-hole, will cease to work from here on out. Review answering time.**

**To Dead Dude Talking: agreed.**

**To TheSilverNinetails: thank you for the six reviews, I hope you give more in the future.**

**To StephOTH23: I know, but even though i try, all characters will be a little OOC.**

**To redlox2: interesting, but how'd you come to that conclusion?**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill.**

* * *

It was a dreary night. The first one since Zoë had… resigned. It already felt empty. Phoebe had replaced her as my lieutenant, as befits one of her skill and experience, but we both knew that it wouldn't be the same.

The hunters and I were all seated around our campfire in a rough circle. Most of the girls were sad at Zoë's leaving and even departing from Camp Half-Blood hadn't lifted their spirits. Then, there were those that resented Zoë for her decision. They thought that she had "betrayed" them, and spoke of her the way they would a boy. The apparent leader of them was Isabelle. She had been a very close friend of Zoë's, and it was almost inconceivable that she would ever hate her. But, so had Zoë leaving us.

"Well," I said as we entered the second hour of emotion filled silence. "I shall retire to my tent, and I'd advise that you all do the same." This was met by many "yes, my lady's" and "as you wish's". They all entered their tents and only the wolves that circled our camp were left awake. I sighed and entered my own tent. My golden stag was sleeping like it was an everyday housecat and hardly stirred when I sat down beside it. I closed my eyes and entered the meditative state the replaces sleep for an immortal. In this state I could focus more on my other duties, such as: directing the path of the moon, watching over all the betrayed maidens of the world, and occasionally my spirit would enter a woman in the process of giving birth and ease her pain. All this gave me a sense of detachment, however small and short lived, so I was rather annoyed when the wolves began barking at something outside.

'_It's probably just a boy who's gotten lost, or Apollo. If it's Apollo I hope that the wolves don't hold back.'_ I thought with a bit of amusement. The amusement vanished when a sharp cry of pain came from the direction of the wolves. I bolted out of my tent and willed my bow into my hand. The other hunters followed suit until we all stood facing the shadows of the forest with raised bows. Then, out of the darkness, a figure slowly detached itself and stood at the edge of the firelight. I could see very little of it as it wore a long cloak that covered its entire body down to its feet. Its face was hidden in the shadow of its cowl. The one thing that I noticed was that its cloak was two different colors. The left side was white and the right was black, even the hood.

For a long time we stood there at an impasse, the figure didn't move ad neither did my hunters. Finally I called out to it.

"Who are you, and why do you come to us at this ungodly hour of the morning," I said and the pun was completely intentional.

"Can one not simply take a stroll through the woods without being interrogated by an Olympian these day?" it said. The voice was obviously a male's, and it was disconcerting that he had indentified me as an Olympian so quickly.

"You did not answer my question," I said and raised an arrow. He chuckled at my gesture of hostility.

"Put your bow down, Artemis," he said calmly. "I did not come here to fight with you."

"Then why are you here?" I demanded. "And Answer my question. Who. Are. You."

"None of that is your concern, Artemis," he said. I'd had enough, I released my arrow... or tried to. Some unknown force prevented me from releasing the tension in my bow.

"What's the matter, huntress," he said light-heartedly. "Having trouble with the Ancient Laws." His words surprised me, could this stranger be nothing more than a mortal?

"Enough talk, Artemis," he said, now very serious. "Stand down, or there will be blood-shed."

"We will never back down to the likes of you, boy," Isabelle said fiercely.

"Very well," he sighed. "Blood-shed it is, then." As he said this, his hands sprang from his cloak and two swords appeared in them; the one in his left hand was silver, and the other could only have been stygian iron. I was also able to see his clothes underneath his cloak, and found them to be the same: one half white and the other black. The hunters released their arrows and he skillfully dodged all of them, except one that was later than the rest. It should have hit his heart, but instead passed right through him, as if he wasn't there. The next moment, he was right in the middle of my hunters and slashing this way and that with his swords in a display of skill and precision I had never seen before. Many of the hunters were given long cuts and rendered unable to continue fighting, until only Phoebe and Isabelle remained. Phoebe had her hunting knives out and Isabelle had her bow. Phoebe lunged at the boy, but met empty air as he sidestepped her and gave her a quick blow to the temple, knocking her unconscious.

"And then there was one," the boy said. He raised his swords and brought them down on Isabelle, ignoring her arrow as it again passed through him. I jumped in front of Isabelle just in time and raised my knives to intercept. The ring of our weapons meeting rang out across the clearing. His attack on me allowed me to now strike back without worrying about the Ancient Laws. I pushed with my knives and he backed up a few steps.

"Now you die," I said. He relaxed a bit and rolled his shoulders.

"Well, well," he said. "I may yet have found one with whom to test myself. Well, Artemis, don't hold back." I sprang forward with all of my speed and slashed at him. Unfortunately, he dodged again gave me a small cut across the ribs. Golden ichor mingled with the red blood of my hunters on his blade. I growled and attacked again, this time I teleported behind him and slashed at his achilles tendon; he jumped up and landed behind me. I spun around to face him, but he delivered a strong punch to my stomach. I lay on the ground and tried to regain my breath. His punch had driven all but pain from my body; it made the burden of the sky seem desirable. Now, he stood over me and looked down.

"Is that really the best you can do?" he asked in a bored voice. "I had expected more from you." He turned and walked over to the horrified form of Isabelle. In the time it took me to blink, they boy had slit her throat and she lay dead upon the ground. He walked back over to me and kneeled down.

"I want to make one thing very clear to you, Artemis" he said in a low voice. "I don't want any news of this night's events to reach Olympus. If it does, and I'll know, then I will hunt you down and make you watch as I kill your hunters. Then, I will turn on Olympus and bring it crumbling down. And as it lay in ruins, and Western Civilization burns with it, you will still be alive. You will live so that you can know true regret, and see that it all could have been avoided if you'd only stayed silent." He ceased talking and stood. A log in the fire broke, and in the flash of light, I saw up his hood. His eyes were like his clothing; one black, and one white.

"Goodnight, Artemis" he said as he walked back to the forest. "And remember our deal." Then unconsciousness took me.

* * *

I awoke to see Phoebe standing guard above me. When she saw that I was awake, she leaned in closer.

"My lady?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"I'm fine, Phoebe," I whispered. I tried to sit up, but my abdomen still hurt and I fell back down.

"Just rest, my lady," she said. "We're safe now." I looked up at the moon as a cloud passed over half of it; half light, and half dark.

"No," I said distantly. "I don't think we are."

* * *

**Chapter 7 is done, and so concludes the Titan's Curse portion of this story. Not much to say, but keep in mind that the fight scene wasn't so much a fight as it was a display of power.**

**Review Quota: 12**

**Trivia: "You have your sword, I have my tricks. Why shouldn't we use the toys the gods have given us."**

**Answer in a review where this quote can be found, who said it, and who he/she was speaking to. The first person with the correct answer will be allowed to ask one question concerning the story, and I'll answer it. (Quote may be slightly different than stated above.)**

**Arrivederci**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone, and welcome back. This chapter is the first for the Battle of the Labyrinth portion of this story. For this chapter specifically, not a whole lot will differ from the original. **

**On an unrelated topic, MoA has finally come out, and Rick Riordan has left us on an even large cliffhanger than last time. Thus, the hated waiting begins anew. **

**To SaviorOfOlympus: not quite, Khaos will have some involvement in this story, but not as much as what you're implying **

**To zsouthwell: if that is your only reason for reading this story, then I'm sorry but you'll have to wait for a while.**

**To I'm Pretty Much Still Here: he came from nowhere, so to speak, and no, no loopholes. I'll see them and make all of you wait longer for updates. The only reason I'm updating early this time is because I'm feeling generous with MoA and my birthday in a few days. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing…Rick Riordan…men in black…copyright laws…etc… **

6 months later.

The beginning of summer, most people think of it as being the time when all of their adolescent worries take a break for a few months; I'm the exception. I had nothing against Goode High School, it was Paul's school after all, but I'd had bad experiences with schools in the past.

"Try to relax," my mom said from the driver's seat. "It's only orientation."

"If that was the only thing for me to worry about now, today might turn out perfect," I said sullenly. My mom frowned. Ever since last winter, she'd been overly concerned with me. She said that I had "changed".

"Your right," she said. "Have fun, Percy. Try not to…" she trailed off.

"Destroy anything," I offered. She nodded. I was about to exit the car when I saw something from my past. The girl from Hoover Dam, Rachael Elizabeth Dare, was right in front of the school. "Hey, mom," I said. "Is there another way into the school?"

"Down the block on the right. Why?" she asked.

"No reason," I said and ran, hoping she wouldn't see me. I made it to the side entrance without any major incidents and the side entrance was devoid of life. I snuck into the school and tried to blend into the crowd, I failed. Rachel Dare noticed me as she entered the school building. She tried to walk over to me, but I joined the flow of students entering the gym. I found a seat in the bleachers as far from the door as possible, I thought that I'd lost her when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" she asked/demanded.

I sighed. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I said.

Her jaw dropped like she couldn't believe that I had the nerve to remember her name. "And you're Percy somebody. I didn't get your full name last December when you tried to _kill_ me."

"Yeah, sorry about that," I said lamely. "I thought that you were something else."

"One of those skeleton things?" she asked. I nodded. "What were those?"

I was about to answer when someone in front told me to shut up. A couple of cheerleaders came forward and one began speaking.

"Hi, guys!" one said that had blonde hair and blue eyes. "My name is Tammi, and this is, like, Kelli." The other cheerleader, Kelli, did a cartwheel.

Rachel stiffened beside me and her face took on an expression of horror.

"Run," she told me. "Now."

"Why?"

Rachel didn't elaborate and proceeded to force her way out of the bleachers. On a split second decision, I followed her. I found her in the band hall hiding behind a bass drum.

"Get over here!" she said. "Keep your head down!"

I felt pretty silly hiding behind a bunch of bongos, but I crouched beside her.

"Did they follow you?" she asked.

"You mean the cheerleaders?"

She nodded nervously.

"I don't think so," I said. "What are they? What did you see?"

Her green eyes were bright with fear. "You… you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me," I said. "I know that you can see through the Mist."

"The what?"

"The Mist. It's… well like a veil hides the way things really are." I tried to explain. "Some mortals, like you, have some kind of immunity to it."

She studied me carefully. "You did that at Hoover Dam. You called me a mortal, like you're not."

I couldn't respond as I essentially dug my own grave.

"Tell me," she begged. "You know what it means. All these horrible things I see."

"Look, this is going to sound weird," I said after a moment. "Do you know anything about Greek myths?"

"Yes," she said. "But what does that have to do…"

Suddenly, the doors burst open. I peaked around the drum to see the two cheerleaders from before.

"Where is she?" the blonde one asked.

"She's in here," the darker one said. "I can smell her. And a half-blood."

"Focus, we're her for the girl." I didn't like the sound of that. They knew we were here; there was no point in hiding. I rose and faced them.

"Ah, there you are," the blonde one said, I think her name was Tammi. "Where's your little friend?" I didn't answer.

"Who or what are you?" I asked. She smiled eerily. I noticed that her eyes had changed to a milky, white color.

"My name is Tammi," she said.

"I'm Kelli," her friend said, she too was rocking the glazed over eyes look.

"As to what we are, you'll see soon enough, hero," Tammi said. I uncapped Riptide.

"I'll give you one chance to leave," I warned. The girl before me sighed.

"Listen, fish," she said. "We're not here for you. Our priority is your friend behind the drums."

"Rachel?" I asked. "Why, she's a mortal."

"She stands in the way of our master," she said.

"Kronos wants her dead?" I asked. That didn't seem right.

"Sure," she said unconvincingly. "Kronos, Kronos is our master." Her voice seemed detached, like she was in a trance.

"Just get it over with," Kelli said from the door. Tammi smiled again and advanced on me. She was very menacing; her only apparent weapons were her pom-poms and her movements were slow.

"Step aside, boy," she said and I noticed that her voice had changed. It seemed familiar somehow. "This isn't your fight."

Before I could respond, she lunged at Rachel and I swung Riptide on reflex. Tammi made no attempt to dodge, and exploded into golden dust as my sword passed through her.

"You killed my Trainee!" Kelli yelled. "You need a lesson in school spirit, half-blood." For a moment, her eyes had turned red. Then, she doubled over in pain from and unknown cause; when she rose, her eyes were blank again.

"Sorry about that," she said in that odd voice. "Emotions are powerful things, not to be underestimated." Then her form began to change. The color drained from out of her face and arms. Her skin became white as chalk, and her teeth became fangs. Oddly enough, the part that drew the most attention was her legs. Her left leg was brown and shaggy with a donkey's hoof. Her right leg was shaped like a human leg, but was made of bronze.

"What are you?" I asked with mixed astonishment and horror.

"Knowledge is only useful if you live long enough to use it," Kelli said. "You won't." she lunged at me and I barely dodged to the side. I turned and tapped the silver bracelet I had on my left arm. Aegis expanded until a wall of steel, bronze, and pure terror stood between Kelli and me. Her eyes again changed to red as she hissed and backed away from Aegis.

"No, you serve me," she muttered underneath her breath. Her body steamed as pain again overtook her. Then, she rose and threw a trombone at me. I ducked and it crashed through a window. She tried to attack, but my shield kept her at bay. Similarly, when I tried to attack, her claws and fangs were enough to discourage me. This stalemate lasted until voices were heard out in the hall; one I recognized as Paul's. Kelli sighed. She glared first at me, then at Rachel, then back at me.

"Another time, perhaps," as the doors opened, body burst in to flames and the mortals and Paul jumped back in surprise.

"Come on," Rachel said from the window. "We need to leave." I had to agree, I hadn't even started attending before I get expelled, a new record. I jumped through the window and ran through the back alley. We were nearing the road when I heard a voice behind me.

"Percy!" I turned to see the face of Zoë in iris-message form.

"Oh, hi Zoë," I said panting with gold dust all over me. "Now really isn't a good time." She looked me over and nodded.

"Very well, but thou are need at camp, immediately," she sounded urgent.

"What is it?" I asked.

"To much to explain now," she said. "Just hurry." With that, she wiped away the iris-message.

"Who was that?" Rachel asked.

"A friend of mine," I said.

"Is she like you?" I hesitated.

"Yes and no."

"Which is it?" she asked. "Yes or no?"

"Listen, I need to be somewhere right now," I said. "Maybe later we can meet up and talk this over." She stood there for several minutes as police cars sped up and down FDR Drive.

"Fine," she said and whipped out a sharpie marker and wrote a 7-digit number on my arm in .02 seconds flat. "I'll cover for you with the school, and in return I expect a full explanation."

"Thanks," I said.

"I still never got your last name."

"It's Jackson."

"Well, see you later, Percy Jackson."

She walked off back to the school and I whistled for a cab.

**Chapter 8 is over, onwards and upwards, as they say. Not much to say, God allowing, I'll have Chapter 9 ready by this time next week, but I might not update unless the review quota is met. Keep this in mind.**

**Review Quota: 12**

**Trivia: "****It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing."**

**Rules: Who said it, who were they speaking to, where can this quote be found.**

**Reward: You may ask one question concerning the story and I shall answer it. **

**Arrivederci**


	9. Chapter 9

**Welcome back everyone, and I'd like to say thank you to all who reviewed, and sorry for taking so long afterwards to update. There were several unfortunate circumstances involved, of which I shall not bore you with details.**

**To Helios Spirit: doesn't work, eh? Never mind, but to your question regarding the pairing, so far, I'm kind of off and on as to whether I want Percy and Zoë to be together. It seems right for this story, but I'm making an effort to stick closely to the canon. (probably the source of my "originality", no offense to anybody) If anything, Percy/Zoë, if not that, all pairings that are seen in original books minus Percy/Annabeth.**

**To everybody else: thanks to all of you so much for your reviews, I was worried for a little bit. Thank you, again.**

**Disclaimer: Let it be known, that the work you read here is a cheap knock-off of the great work of Rick Riordan, and it is with utmost respect for that work, that I write this story.**

* * *

The cab ride to camp was uneventful and the cab driver didn't try to kill me, which was good.

"Something about abandoning a kid in the middle of nowhere doesn't seem right to me," he said when we arrived at the hill. I had enough mortal cash to pay for the fare, but not for his silence. Time to try a new trick.

I snapped my fingers and concentrated on the mist. "Don't worry about it," I said. "Besides, you have somewhere else to be."

"Yeah, somewhere else to be," he said dreamily. I handed him some money and drove off. I looked up the hill at the massive pine tree and the dragon at its base. Seeing Thalia's pine again made me miss her even more, and remind me of my inability to save her. I sighed and slowly walked up the hill.

The first thing I noticed were the campers, or the lack of them. The camp had been losing campers lately, but now it was almost empty. Some had died, some had gone missing, and some... some had left. We all knew where they'd gone, but the subject was heavily tabooed. What campers were left were either veterans, who had been at camp since before me, or newbies, who didn't know better either way. I heard the ringing of hammers in the forges, the Hephaestus kids making more weapons and armor that we all wished we didn't need. Sounds of fighting rose up from the arena as the new campers were whipped into shape. The Hermes kids were running here and there bearing reports from all over the immortal world.

I decided to check in with Chiron first and let him know that I was here. I stopped and asked an Hermes camper where he was.

"He's in the Big House," he said. "I'm on my way there right now."

"Okay then, I guess we can go see him together," I replied. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you knew?"

"Yep," he said. "I arrived yesterday."

"Are you undetermined?" I asked tentatively, some of them were very sensitive on that subject.

"No, I was claimed by Tyche," he said proudly.

"Who?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Minor goddess of fortune," he said. "Don't worry about not knowing her, almost nobody does nowadays."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it a bit complicated," he said. "People in the mortal world have taken to relying more on skill and logic over luck. To them, luck is for children and not worth worrying about." He didn't sound bitter by his words, he just seemed neutral.

"Oh," I said awkwardly. "Well, I definitely rely on luck. More so than skill at times, and definitely more than logic." He laughed.

"Maybe," he said thoughtfully. "Or maybe it's fate."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I was thankful when I didn't have to. We had arrived at the Big House, and Chiron had come out to meet us.

"Percy, when did you get here, my boy?" he asked though he seemed more relieved than surprised.

"Oh you know, same old-same old," I said off-handedly.

"School hasn't even started yet, how have you been kicked out?" he responded.

"Monsters," I said.

"Ah, I see," he said. To most, Chiron didn't appear to react at all, but I noticed the signs that he was worried: a swish of his tail, a slight furrowing of his brow, his hooves moving ever so slightly. "Well, you'll have to fill me in later. I have a previous engagement that I must attend to. Perhaps you should come as well, it concerns Grover."

"What is it?" I asked. "Is Grover alright?"

"He is unharmed, if that is what you are asking," Chiron said. "It is more a matter of his job."

"What happened?" I asked. Grover's job, he was a searcher for Pan. What could've happened?

"All will be explained in time," Chiron assured me.

I nodded before a thought came to me. "By the way, where is Zoë?" I asked.

A wry smile appeared on Chiron's face. "She's training the campers to, how did she put it, 'properly shoot an arrow'," Chiron said. "You'll find her torturing, I mean teaching them at the archery range." I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Zoë training a group of people archery. My own lessons with her had been brutal, but undeniably effect. I could now shoot an arrow and have it land on the target at least 7 out of 10 times.

Chiron was right, I found her standing off to the side giving commands as the campers, most of them newbies with some veterans, fired at targets that were some two-hundred yards away.

"Now, keep your aim steady!" Zoë said. "If you waver even a tiny bit, your aim will be skewed and your chances of living will fall. All it takes is one well-placed arrow to end a fight, or one ill-placed arrow to ensure your own demise!" I couldn't help but notice that she'd been practicing her modern english. I watched as two dozen arrows left there bows and soared through the air to their targets. Most landed on the targets, but a few arrows found only the earth.

"What was that?" Zoe asked. "If that had been a group of monsters, they would have been alerted to your presence and be upon you now!"

"It wasn't a group of monsters though," one son of Apollo muttered. Though he spoke softly, Zoë heard him.

"What did thou say, boy?" she said in a dangerously calm voice.

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"Really, well it must have just been my imagination then," Zoë said. The Apollo kid began to relax before Zoë pulled out an arrow and shot it at him. It passed with half-an-inch of his face before embedding itself in a tree on the other side of the range. The poor kid jumped back in terror.

"What was that?" Zoë yelled. "In real combat if an enemy arrow misses, one does not shy away in fear. You return fire."

"Well, it's just that you surprised me," the Apollo kid explained.

Zoë sighed in exasperation. "You must learn to take such surprises head on and adapt to the situation," she said. "This goes for all of you, if you lack the ability to adapt, then you will die in a real fight. Class dismissed."

Most of the campers were visibly relived as they shouldered their bows and left for their next activities. Zoë had walked down to the targets to retrieve the arrows. On a whim, I picked up a bow. Remembering Zoë's lessons, I notched an arrow and carefully aimed my shot. I fired and it landed with the inner ring of the target closest to Zoë. She didn't react besides looking curiously at the quivering arrow.

"You are getting better," she called.

"Thanks," I said walking up to her. "I had a good teacher."

She turned and smiled at me. "Is that so?" she asked.

"Yes, but don't tell her that," I said conspiratorially. "Her ego is large enough as it is." She hit me in the shoulder, but her smile didn't leave her face.

"It is good to have you back, Percy," she said.

"Thanks, it's good to be back," I replied. "Um, Zoë."

"Yes?"

"In your Iris-Message, you said that you had something to tell me, something important," I said. Her smile vanished.

"Yes, I did," she replied gravelly.

"Well, what was it?" I asked. She sighed and took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"A few days ago, I received an Iris-Message from Lady Artemis," she said. I remained silent and waited for her to continue. "She said that after I had left, she and the hunters had been attacked."

"By monsters?"

"No, by a man," she said. "The way that Lady Artemis described him, he... he must have been the same man from your dream." My blood froze.

"What happened?" I asked. "Were the hunters killed?"

"Only one of them, Isabelle," she said. "But Lady Artemis said that he fought all of the hunters by himself and hadn't even been injured. Lady Artemis herself fought him and was defeated easily by him. If he had wanted to kill all of them, he could have." I pondered the meaning of her words.

"What could it mean?" I said almost to myself.

"I do not know," Zoë replied. "But whoever this stranger is, he is far stronger than we could have imagined."

"Should we tell Chiron?"

"We can not, you said that this man warned you against such an action," she reminded me. "He gave a similar warning to Lady Artemis."

"What can we do then?" I asked.

"I do not know," she said. "I do not know."

A silence fell over us for several minutes before either of us spoke next.

"I need to go," I said. "Chiron said that Grover was in trouble, or something, and I should be there for him."

"I will come as well," Zoë said. I nodded.

A nymph told us that Grover was in a hearing with the Council of Cloven Elders regarding his status as a searcher. She led us to the clear where it was being held. The council wasn't very impressive, little more than three fat, old satyrs with rosebush thrones. **(Of course the fat ones are the politicians.) **However, Grover obviously feared them. I hadn't seen him this nervous since he'd been captured by Polyphemus. Off to the side were two girls. One of them I recognized as Clarisse, and the other one was a nymph I had never seen before.

"Punk," Clarisse said in greeting.

"Nice to see you too, Clarisse," I replied. "What's happening?"

"The old ones said something about Grover being a 'blasphemous liar' and 'unfit for the noble quest of searching out our lord'. Either way, it isn't looking good," Clarisse said.

"But they haven't reached a decision yet?" Zoë asked.

"They might as well have," Clarisse replied. "They've made it very clear what they think of Grover and his work. All we need now is a pink slip."

The nymph girl began cry at Clarisse's words. Clarisse immediately went to her side.

"Oh gods, I'm sorry Juniper," Clarisse said. "I shouldn't have said that."

"But it's true," Juniper cried.

"No, Chiron is here, Grover might make it," Clarisse said soothingly. I had never known that Clarisse had a capacity for kindness.

"Master Underwood!" the council member on the right shouted. "Do you seriously expect us to believe this?"

"B-but, Silenus," Grover stammered. "It's the truth."

Silenus turned to his colleagues and muttered something. Chiron cantered up to the front and stood next to them.

"Master Underwood, for six months—_six months—_we have heard these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak."

"But I did!"

"Impudence!" said the elder on the left.

"Now, Maron," Chiron said. "Patience."

"Patience, indeed!" Maron said. "I've had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to... to _him_."

Juniper looked like she wanted to charge the old satyr and beat him up, but Clarrise held her back. "Wrong fight, June," Clarisse muttered. "Wait."

Again, Clarisse surprised me by _preventing _a fight.

"For six months," Silenus continued. "We have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allow you to keep your searcher's license. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?"

"I just need more time," Grover pleaded.

"Nothing!" the elder in the middle chimed in. "You have found nothing."

"But, Leneus—"

Silenus raised his hand. Chiron leaned in and said something to the satyrs. They didn't look happy. They muttered and argued amongst themselves, but Chiron said something else, and Silenus sighed and nodded reluctantly.

"Master Underwood," Silenus announced, "we will give you one more chance."

Grover brightened. "Thank you!"

"One more week."

"What? But, sir! That's impossible!"

"On more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theater perhaps. Or tap dancing."

"But, sir, I—I can't lose my searcher's license. My whole life—"

"This meeting of the council is adjourned." Silenus said. "And now let us enjoy our noonday meal!" **(The highlight of their day)**

Grover walked dejectedly towards us. "Hi, Percy," he said, so depressed he didn't even offer to shake my hand. "That went well, huh?"

"Those old **(and fat) **goats!" Juniper said. "Oh, Grover, they don't know how you've tried!"

"There is another option," Clarrise said darkly.

"No. No." Juniper shook her head. "Grover, I won't let you."

His face was ashen. "I—I'll have to think about it. But we don't even know where to look."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Last winter, I was looking for the—" Clarisse began.

"Nothing!" Juniper cut her off. "We shouldn't talk about it."

"Fine, but it'll come out eventually," Clarisse said and walked off.

"What was that about?" I asked Zoë.

"I wish I knew," she replied. "All I know is that Clarisse got back to camp sometime last Spring. She had been on a mission for Chiron, top secret."

"Yeah, I remember," I replied. "I don't suppose you know what it was?"

"No," she said. "But Clarisse was right, we'll find out soon.

* * *

_'We're running out of time.'_

'We're doomed.'

**'Calm down, both of you!'**

'What would you have us do?'

**'Remain calm. Hope has not deserted us yet.'**

_'No? It seems rather hopeless to me.'_

**'Do you forget? As long as she lives, we might yet defeat him again.'**

'Yes, but he will do all in his power to kill her.'

**'He is weak, we can fight him.'**

_'For now.'_

**'We do not need long. But we need to list our priorities.'**

'The girl, obviously. And... the boy?'

**'Yes, he must live. He is to important.**

_'And the titan spawn? What of her.'_

**'Her destiny is intertwined with his, she must live.'**

'And the dark child. We mustn't forget him.'

**'Yes, of course. If he dies, then all is lost.'**

_'Do you truly believe that it can be done, sister? Can we fight him and keep Delphi alive?'_

**'Only time can tell. But, I will not sit idly by as he destroys all our mother worked for.'**

'Very well then, I shall watch the girl.

_'I shall keep vigilant of the other two.'_

**'That leaves the fallen angel to me. I shall take on the roles of the one he lost. So it has been said, so it shall be.'**

* * *

**And thus, chapter 9 is concluded. I hope that you enjoyed even though it was lacking in any real action.**

**Review Quota: To Hades with this, review when you want.**

**Trivia: "In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons. Are we at war, father?"**

**Rules: Who is speaking, who are they speaking to, and in where can this quote be found?**

**P.S. Though I doubt any of you care to know, my birthday was a few days ago and I am one year closer to dying. Hooray!**

**Arrivederci**


	10. Chapter 10

**Welcome back everyone. I am very sorry for taking so long to update, but I ran into more "unfortunate circumstances" otherwise known as life. Anyway, this chapter was hard to write since I messed up last chapter when I forgot to include Quintus, but I hope I covered it up well enough. In other news, I broke my record for time being alive today. Review answers below.**

**To Blazing Crusader: their relationship will "develop", whether of not the become an actual couple though... it really could go either way. I might set up a poll or something. Anyway, thanks for the review and enjoy ch. 10.**

**To Wilbo11: I've never played Rome Total War (and i assume it's a game of some sort) so, if it's in there, then it's not the one I was looking for. Just a hint, the quotes have been lines from movies thus far. **

**Disclaimer: Though some content is taken directly from the book, it is simply because there is no better way to write something than the original way. Anything seen here is not mine, and is the work of Rick Riordan.**

* * *

We had just exited the forest when a conch horn sounded across the camp.

"Isn't that the inspection horn?" Zoë asked.

"Oh, yeah," I said. "I have to go, see you later." I raced to my cabin with Zoë's "Okay, see you later," fading behind me.

I arrived at my cabin hoping to at least make an effort when I found the last thing I was expecting to find in my cabin: neatness. It took me 2 second to realize that I wasn't alone.

"Percy!" Tyson bellowed and charged at me with his arms outspread. As happy as I was to see him, it was still terrifying.

"Hey, big guy," I wheezed out. "Ow, watch the ribs. The ribs." He put me down and I got a better look at him. He was wearing a flowered apron with rubber cleaning gloves, and a discarded broom was on the floor behind him. "Did you do all of this?" I asked gesturing to the cabin.

"Yes, I made it pretty," he said. "And look at the fish ponies. I put them on the ceiling." I looked up to see a herd of miniature hippocampi hanging from the ceiling by near invisible wires. I was admiring them when something caught my eye, on the wall next to my Minotaur horn, hung my shield.

"You fixed it!"

It looked brand new with all of the small pictures repainted and not a scratch on it. One could hardly tell it had nearly been destroyed by a manticore but a few months ago. I looked over at Tyson, wondering how to thank him when somebody behind us spoke.

"Oh my," Silena said from the doorway. She gave the cabin a quick but through look before looking at me in surprise. "Well, I had my doubts. But you clean up nicely, Percy. I'll remember that." She winked at me and left the cabin.

Tyson and I spent some time catching up on what had happened. Though he already knew, Annabeth and Thalia 's deaths still got to him. And, though I fought it, it still got to me too. I wanted to, but I couldn't tell him what had really happened to them, the underworld and the cloaked man. Tyson gained my attention when he mentioned a new sword instructor.

"The new sword teacher is odd," Tyson said.

"What?" I asked. "A new sword teacher?"

"Quintus, he came a few days ago, with his dog. She is nice."

"Okay, who is he?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said. "He came and pony-man gave him job."

"How is he odd then?"

Tyson's face scrunched up, as if in deep thought. "I can feel machines around him," Tyson said.

"What does that mean?" I asked in incomprehension.

"When he is close, I can feel machines when I do not see them," Tyson explained. "It is odd."

His words made no sense to me, and apparently no sense to Tyson either. Maybe I should go see this new swordsman.

Later that evening, after most camp activities and dinner, I entered the sword arena to find it empty. Though there was a pile of massacred practiced dummies off to the side and… large piles of something that I didn't want to go near. I was a bout to leave when a voice spoke.

"Hello there," it said. "You must be Percy Jackson."

I turned to see a gray-haired man in Greek armor. He was probably in his fifties and was in surprisingly good shape for one so old. He had a bronze sword strapped to his waist and had an odd purple mark, like a birthmark or something, at the base of his neck. Before I could properly look at it, he shifted his armor straps and the mark disappeared under the collar of his Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

"Yes, I am," I said offering a hand. "And you're Quintus?"

"Yes, I'm the new sword instructor here," he replied taking my hand. "I help Chiron while Mr. D is away."

"Mr. D is away?" I asked.

"Yes, well… busy times. Even Dionysus must help out. He's gone to visit some old friends. Make sure they're on the right side. I probably shouldn't say more than that."

As he spoke, a sound like an artillery gun sounded off to our left. I turned to see a massive hellhound step out of the shadows and run towards us. On instinct, I uncapped Riptide and prepared to cut the monster in half; but Quintus stopped me.

"Hold on there, Percy," he said grabbing my wrist. "I'd rather that you didn't kill Mrs. O'Leary."

"Mrs. O'Leary?" I asked in an odd combination of surprise and fear for the man's sanity. In response to her name, the dog began barking again.

"She is my companion," Quintus assured me. "And don't worry, she's quite tame. Aren't you girl?" Another bark. Quintus picked up a mostly intact practice dummy and tossed to the other side of the arena saying, "Get the Greek! Get the Greek!"

"How do you have a hellhound…" I trailed off.

"For a pet," Quintus finished. I nodded. "It's a long story that involved many close encounters with Thanatos and more giant dog treats than you would believe."

"Who are you exactly?" I asked after an awkward few seconds of silence.

"The same as you," he answered. "A demigod without a home and a willingness to help."

"You're a demigod?" I asked incredulously. Most demigods barely made to their twenties, let alone old age.

"Some of us _do _survive to adulthood," he said. "I only wish that number were larger." The thought saddened me. I'd already seen enough of my friends die. It didn't even want to imagine what Chiron must feel.

"Well, you should probably go get some rest," Quintus said. "Your in for a big day tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously. I instantly regretted asking.

"Let's just say that I have special 'games' set up for the campers tomorrow night," he said conspiratorially.

"Uh-huh," I said. "Well, good night then."

"Good night to you too," Quintus replied.

I was heading back to my cabin when I heard the sound of hooves behind me. I turned to face Chiron as he trotted up to me.

"Percy," he said. "I meant to ask you earlier, but never had the time. You mentioned that monsters had attacked you at your school, but never specified anything."

"I don't know exactly what they were," I replied to his unasked question. "They seemed vaguely like vampires, with pale skin and fangs."

"Did they have mismatched legs?" Chiron inquired.

"Yeah, one was made of bronze and the other looked like it belonged to an animal of some sort," I explained.

"Empousai," Chiron said. "Ancient she-demons of near-unmatched cunning that will take through ferocity what they cannot win through guile. It is not good that they are stirring, and even worse that they've sided with the titans. But, it is quite astonishing that you survived, whereas most male heroes would have fallen under their spell and been devoured."

"I almost was," I admitted. "But, they didn't seem to be after me."

"What?" he asked. "That doesn't make sense."

"I know, but they seemed to be after a mortal girl, Rachel," I told him. "They said that she stood in the way of their master."

"Why would servants of Kronos target a mortal?" he asked almost to himself. "A clear-sighted mortal, but even that shouldn't make that much of a difference."

"Actually," I began. "I don't know if Kronos was their master." Chiron took a moment to process this new possibility.

"This is strange, and I have more questions than I have had in many an age," he mused. He glanced uneasily at the window to the attic. "Perhaps…"

"Chiron?" I said. He turned to me as if he'd forgotten that I'd been there.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "I got lost in my thoughts. I won't keep you any longer. You do have quite the day ahead of you." He said.

"So I've been told," I replied wryly. "Night, Chiron."

"Good night, my boy," he said and trotted off in the direction of the big house, still lost in his thoughts.

* * *

I had a hard time sleeping that night, and the Iris-message didn't help. The saltwater fountain in my cabin, which was a present from my dad, began glowing around midnight. Curiosity took over, and I went to investigate it.

_Please deposit one drachma. _A female voice said from the fountain. I didn't know what to do; normally, the _sender_ paid the drachma and not the receiver. But, in the end, curiosity won again and I scooped the last golden coin from the warm water.

"O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering," I said and dropped the drachma into the steam of the fountain. At first, there was nothing, but then a dark image began to appear before me. I recognized the scene; I had seen it more times than I ever wanted to. Before me was an image of the River Styx, and on its bank was a lone figure standing next a small fire. The figure was tossing small objects into the flames and watching them burn in the unnatural blue color of the flames. The figure turned and I saw that it was Nico di Angelo. He could only have been ten or eleven, yet his eyes shone with a light of anger and betrayal he should never have had to experience. His skin was pale and his dark clothes torn and ragged. This was an entirely other person to the little, enthusiastic boy I'd known several months ago.

"Useless," he muttered as he tossed another object into the fire; I could now see that they were Mythomagic cards. "I can't believe I ever liked this stuff."

"A childish game, master," another voice agreed. It seemed to come from near the fire, but I couldn't identify the speaker.

"I've failed," Nico muttered. "There's no way to bring her back."

The other voice remained silent.

Nico turned and I could see a vague outline of a man. He seemed almost like a wisp of smoke or a shadow. "Is there? Speak." Nico said to the ghost.

"It has never been done," the ghost said. "But there may be a way."

"Tell me," Nico commanded.

"An exchange," the ghost said. "A soul for a soul."

"I've offered!"

"Not yours," the ghost said. "You cannot offer your father a soul he will eventually claim. Nor will he be anxious for the death of his son. I mean a soul that should have died already. Someone who has cheated death."

"Not this again," Nico said. "You're talking about murder."

"I speak of justice," the ghost said. "Vengeance."

"Those are not the same thing."

The ghost laughed dryly. "You will learn differently as you get older."

Nico stared at the flames. "Why can't I at least summon her? I want to talk to her. She would…she would help me."

"I will help you," the ghost promised. "Have I not saved you many times? Did I not lead you through the maze and teach you to use your powers? Do you want revenge for your sister or not?"

Nico turned from the fire so the ghost couldn't see him, but I could. A tear traced its way down his face. "Very well. You have a plan?"

"Oh, yes," the ghost said, sounding quite pleased. "We have many dark roads to travel. We must start—" The image shimmered. Nico vanished. The woman's voice from the mist said, Please deposit one drachma for another five minutes.

There were no other coins in the fountain. I grabbed for my pockets, but I was wearing pajamas. I lunged for the nightstand to check for spare change, but the Iris-message had already blinked out, and the room went dark again. The connection was broken.

Several things became clear; Nico was alive and in the underworld, he had a sociopathic spirit for a guide, and he was searching for someone, someone who had cheated death. If felt a cold dread fill my heart as I realized that Nico would come for me.

* * *

I woke up the next morning to find that the camp had been attacked. Lee Fletcher said that an Aetheopian Drakon had showed up around 3 o'clock and lurked around the border. The Apollo cabin drove it off, but couldn't kill it.

"It's still out there," Lee warned us during announcements. "Twenty arrows in its hide, and we just made it mad. The thing was thirty feet long and bright green. It's eyes—" he shuddered.

"You did well, Lee," Chiron patted him on the shoulder. "Everyone stay alert, but stay calm. This has happened before."

"Aye," Quintus said from the head table. "And it will happen again. More and more frequently."

The campers murmured among themselves.

"This is a good reason for new war games, "Quintus continued, a glint in his eyes. "We'll see how you all do with that tonight."

"Yes…" Chiron said. "Well, enough announcements. Let us bless this meal and eat." He raised his goblet. "To the gods."

We all raised our glasses and repeated the blessing. We all gave our offering to the brazier and took our seats. Tyson and I sat at the Poseidon table, but were joined by Zoë shortly there after. It had largely been established that Zoë would sit with me, since no one else wanted her and nowhere else really seemed appropriate. Though she still revered Artemis, her table was reserved for Hunters and she had cut her ties with them six months ago, though she was an archery instructor, the head table didn't feel right for her, and she didn't want to have all her meals in her room in the big house. She still had her pride, and no amount of scorn from the campers would take it away from her.

Once everyone was eating, Chiron and Grover came over to visit. Grover was bleary-eyed. His shirt was inside out. He slid his plate onto the table and slumped next to me.

Tyson shifted uncomfortably. "I will go…um…polish my fish ponies." He lumbered off, leaving his breakfast half-eaten.

Chiron tried for a smile. He probably wanted to look reassuring, but in centaur form he towered over me, casting a shadow across the table. "Well, Percy, how did you sleep?"

This question raised suspicion. Does he know about last night's Iris-Message? "Uh, fine." I replied warily.

"I brought Grover over," Chiron said, "because I thought you two might want to, ah, discuss matters. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Iris-messages to send. I'll see you later in the day." He gave Grover a meaningful look, then trotted out of the pavilion.

"What's he talking about?" I asked Grover.

Grover chewed his eggs. I could tell he was distracted, because he bit the tines of his fork and chewed those down, too. "He wants you to convince me," he mumbled.

"Convince you of what?" Zoë asked. Grover looked down at his plate for a long time. Conflicting emotions were visible in his facial expressions. He was uncertain and scared, whatever it was it terrified him.

"Hey, if you don't want to talk about it, then you don't have to," I reassured him. Grover looked at me with relief evident on his face.

"Thanks, Percy," he said. "It just that… Chiron and Clarisse are probably right. It might be my only option."

"What _is_ your only option?" Zoë asked again.

"Nothing," he said weakly. "I mean, if I do it, then I could die or go insane like that other guy; or I don't go and have to start a puppet theater."

"What other guy?" I asked.

"What guy?" Grover asked back.

"You mentioned someone going insane," I said.

"No I didn't," he said quickly. After that, Grover took an avid interest in his salad. Zoë and I exchanged questioning glances, but didn't pursue the subject.

Everyone finished eating and began to go about their day. But, that night after dinner, Quintus had us suit up in combat armor like we were getting ready for capture the flag, but the mood among the campers was a lot more serious.

"Right," Quintus said, standing on the head dining table. "Gather 'round." He was dressed in black leather and bronze. In the torchlight, his gray hair made him look like a ghost.

"You will be in teams of two," Quintus announced. When everybody started talking and trying to grab their friends, he yelled: "Which have already been chosen!"

"Your goal is simple: collect the gold laurels without dying. The wreath is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six monsters. Each has a silk package. Only one holds the laurels. You must find the wreath before the other teams. And, of course…you will have to slay the monster to get it, and stay alive."

The crowd started murmuring excitedly. The task sounded pretty straightforward. Hey, we'd all slain monsters before. That's what we trained for.

"I will now announce your partners," Quintus said. "There will be no trading. No switching. No complaining."

Quintus produced a big scroll and started reading off names. Beckendorf would be with Silena Beauregard, which Beckendorf looked pretty happy about. The Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, would be together. No surprise, they did everything together. Clarisse was with Lee Fletcher from the Apollo cabin—melee and ranged combat combined, they would be a tough combo to beat. Quintus kept rattling off the names until he said, "Percy Jackson with Samuel Evans." The boy I had met yesterday, the son of Tyche, stepped forward. He held out his hand and I shook it.

"You're not wearing armor?" I remarked upon observing him in only his CHB t-shirt and jeans. He shrugged.

"It'll only slow me down," he replied smoothly. I raised an eyebrow.

"How long did you say you had been here?"

"Four days," he said. "Why?"

"Um, no reason," I said awkwardly.

The rest of the campers were paired up, Grover and Tyson became partners, with neither being very happy about it. However, when they objected, Quintus quickly silenced them. Zoë was paired up with an Apollo kid, I recognized him as the one from her archery lesson. He looked like he would've preferred anyone else as his partner.

* * *

Everyone entered the woods as the sun was setting, and the long shadows added to the overall creepiness of the forest. I was wearing a bronze chestplate with greaves and bracers of the same material. I didn't have a helmet, so as to not obstruct my peripheral vision. I had the Bow of Orion in my left hand and two-dozen arrows on my back. Riptide was in my pocket and my shield/watch on my wrist. Sam simply had a single bronze dagger. It was a standard dagger, with nothing particularly special about it. Any one of the Hephaestus kids could've made it in half-a-second or less without looking.

We didn't talk, choosing instead to creep quietly through the ever-growing darkness of the forest floor. I couldn't help but notice how much my training with Zoë had paid off. Before, I would've stumbled through, attempting but failing miserably to sneak, and alert any monster with ears that could hear. It had probably been half an hour when we ran into Zoë. Sam and I had been crossing the creek when I heard noise to my left. On instinct, I let loose an arrow from my bow and heard it embed in a tree. A miss. I quickly drew a second arrow and turned to face Zoë, my arrow pointed straight at her heart. She smiled wryly in defeat.

"Well, Percy," she began. "I see that you've improved quite a bit since our last session. That first arrow almost got me." She said pointing over her shoulder at my first arrow.

"Thanks," I said lowering my bow. "Where's your partner?" I asked when I noticed that she was alone. She shrugged.

"He ran the moment the games started," she said with annoyance plain in her tone. "I truly have no clue where he is, and didn't waste time trying to find him."

"Would you care to join us?" I asked indicating Sam and myself.

"I was hoping you would ask."

The three of us set of further into the forest. We didn't come to a stop until we reach Zeus's Fist. Normally, this site was a common rendezvous for campers in the forest, but the area was empty and as silent as the grave.

"Maybe we shouldn't…" I began to say before three giant insects emerged from the trees. They were ten feet long, with jagged pincers, armored tails, and stingers as long as my sword, scorpions. Tied to their backs were red silk packages.

"Sam, stay back," I warned. "Me and Zoë will handle this."

No sooner had the words left my mouth that Sam ran past me towards the scorpions with only his dagger. I was so shocked that I just barely paid attention to the fight. Sam ran between the first two and buried his dagger between the eyes of the third. As it turned to dust, he whirled and threw the bronze knife at the second scorpion, which joined its friend in Tartarus. All this happened before the first scorpion even turned to face Sam. It took two steps forward before Sam slammed a second hidden dagger into its head.

I turned to face Zoë and saw all the shock I was experiencing on her face as well. We turned back to see Sam triumphantly displaying a golden laurel wreath in his raised hand.

"Well, how'd I do?" he asked innocently, though he couldn't hide the confident smirk on his face.

"Where did you learn to do that?" I asked in astonishment.

Sam began to answer before all of the bravado drained from his features. His eyes widened in terror and his legs began to tremble.

"Sam?" I asked, then I heard it. A hissing, clattering noise I recognized all too well, and a sound I thought I would never hear again. I turned to see the gray, translucent skin and fleshless grins of four skeleton warriors.

* * *

**Chapter 10 is done. Hopefully I didn't miss anything this time. As you have probably noticed, I've changed the title. This shouldn't be an issue, but in the event it is… no, it won't be an issue.**

**Trivia: No one correctly guessed it this time, so it remains the same for this chapter and probably next chapter as well if no one gets it. **

**Reward: See last chapter's trivia**

**Reviews: As you all know, I'd prefer actual input, but that all depends on you. Any support is appreciated even if the means for the support are less so.**

**P.S. I'm most likely going to be offline for a while, so if the next update isn't in within the next week or so... then it'll be awhile. Sorry, but it can't be helped.**

**Arrivederci**


	11. Chapter 11

**Buone vacanze i miei lettori. This is Chapter 11 of **_**The Hands of Fate**_**, as if you didn't know this. I've lost all sense of order about these updates. I can update when I think I shouldn't be able to, and I can't when I should. Oh well, on to the review responses. **

**To ShotgunWilly: yeah, the review quota is gone and dead with. But, I'd still like to get some feedback for this story. If there's anything in particular I continually mess up, then could you let me know?**

**To DeathmatchDrunkard: to your assumptions concerning Hecate and Sam, one is more correct than the other, but I'll leave you in a bit of mystery. I must maintain some professional secrets, eh. Percy won't be confronting any campers concerning Zoë anymore, and you'll see why in the chapter. **

**To 1****st**** Son of The Sea God: yes, Zoë will be OOC, and there really is nothing I can do about it. I don't know her character well enough to portray her perfectly. Thanks for the ending to your review. I don't see a lot of those.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, locations, terms, etc. included in this story. All rights go to Rick Riordan and Hyperion publishing Inc.**

* * *

Zoë reacted first. Her hand flew to her quiver, but never made it. The nearest skeleton leapt forward and grabbed her wrist in its gray fist. Zoë dropped her bow and reached for her hunting knife she always kept at her belt. A second skeleton stopped her. Then I snapped out of my surprised and uncapped Riptide. I took a total of two steps towards Zoë before the other two skeletons cut me off.

They all looked much the same as the last time I'd seen them. They wore gray, military attire over gray, semi-transparent skin and the yellow eyes of a predator. They all wielded short-swords, but one of them in front of me also had a handgun. I tapped my watch and it expanded into the shield Tyson had made me. I raised it before me in preparation of an attack. One of them advanced towards me before the other, the one with the gun, waved it off. It wished to fight me alone.

"Are you prepared to die, prey?" the skeleton asked in English that was severly butchered by the chattering noise it made.

"How are you here?" I asked, ignoring its taunt. "The camp borders should have kept you out." The skeleton made more chattering noises that was probably laughter.

"No borders or magic can protect you from the inevitable," it said. "You will die, and the fate of this world shall be sealed."

The skeleton lunged forward and brought its sword down on me; I raised my shield with barely half a second to spare. I stumbled back and raised my shield again as a wall of forced slammed into it once more. I blindly stabbed out with my sword and felt it sink into flesh. I pulled out Riptide and jumped back as the skeleton's ribs knit back together. It again attacked me and I raised my shield, but this time I tilted my shield so the blade would glance off to the left. The skeleton was thrown off balance and I brought Riptide down on its unprotected neck. I kicked the decapitated head off into the woods so the skeleton couldn't just put it back on, at least for a little bit. I turned to face the other three skeletons. The two who had grabbed Zoë remained by her, but the third one walked towards me.

For some reason, I chose now to notice Sam's absence. Where he had stood before, was nothing but small piles of golden dust and fallen laurels. I would have to be angry at Sam's cowardice later, as the skeleton before me had called over one of the others. The second skeleton left Zoë in the hands of its comrade and drew its sword.

They came towards me: one from the right, and one from the left. They came slowly and I backed up equally slowly. My eyes darted from one to the other and my muscles were tense. It wasn't long before I found my back against a wall, or more accurately, Zeus' Fist. The two skeletons laughed.

"Can you feel it, prey?" the one on the right taunted.

"The fear of death," the left one said.

"Can you feel it in your heart?" right said.

"In your mind?" left.

"In your soul?" right.

They continued laughing, and I quickly examined the pile of boulders. There was a narrow footpath, if it could be called that, slightly to my right. It wasn't much, but it would give the advantage of higher ground. I edged carefully towards it. The skeletons followed me. The left one leapt forward and I met his sword with my shield. His friend attacked from my exposed and I used Riptide to block his strike. I edged closer to the path. The two in front of me kept attacking, and I felt my left arm grow tired from raising my shield and blocking their blows. I was able to injure them a few times, but the effects undid themselves almost immediately. I was almost to the path when I heard a shot ring out and a section of rock explode next to my head. The first skeleton, the one with the gun, had found its head and was standing back and taking aim.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath and dove behind my shield as the second bullet met the bronze surface. There was a dent in the shield now. I was close to the path now, barely a meter away, but it might as well have been kilometers away from what my odds looked like. Two more shots, in rapid succession, dented my shield further and added to the burning sensation in my left arm. The other skeletons continued to rain blow after blow on my weakening barrier. Zoë could only watch helplessly from her position in the iron-strong grip of the fourth skeleton.

In a last effort, I dove for the path and fell to a crouch behind my shield in front of it. More bullets; more hammer falls. I struggled back to my feet and edged backwards up the path. The two skeletons could only come at me one at a time now, and the gunner must be close to out of ammo, unless he had more. I edged back further. I felt my foot meet empty air. I turned to see a gaping hole in the middle of the rocks. I felt my hope drain away as any options of escape, and survival, disappeared right before my eyes. The skeleton in front of me noticed, and when its sword fell, I could fell the fear in my heart, mind, and soul. The sword smashed against my shield and I fell backwards. The last thing I saw before I fell into darkness was Zoë and the frantic terror on her face.

* * *

"Percy!" I screamed desperately from the grip of my captor. I struggled harder against the skeleton, but it was no good. The lead skeleton, the one with the gun, nodded to my captor and walked towards the pile of boulders. The skeleton holding me looked down at me for a moment before tossing me unceremoniously to the side. I watched numbly as, one by one, the skeletons disappeared into the rocks.

I didn't sit there for long, I was up and running through the forest before I realized it. I had to find Chiron. I ran through the darkening forest, passing campers and monsters alike in my haste. My hunter instincts kicked in as I weaved flawlessly in between trees and undergrowth.

"And just where are you going in such a hurry?" a voice asked as a large hand grabbed me my shoulder. I fell backwards at the sudden loss of momentum and looked up to see the helmeted face of Clarisse.

"I don't have time for this, Clarisse," I growled and got to my feet. "I need to find Chiron!"

"Really?" she asked, she seemed concerned now for some reason. "First that new kid, now you; what happened?"

"We were attacked, Percy needs help," I said impatiently. Clarisse narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Attacked by what?" she asked.

"There's no time," I said and began running again. "I have to find Chiron." I called back. I ran to the edge of the forest, and saw the centaur standing several meters away talking with Quintus. I sprinted over and tried to speak between gasps.

"Skeletons…Percy…help," I barely got out.

"Zoë?" Chiron asked. "What happened? What about Percy?" I tried to regain my breath.

"Percy and I were…attacked…by the monsters… the skeleton warriors from last winter," I gasped out. Realization dawned on Chiron's face, and he turned to Quintus.

"Find Argus and secure the border," Chiron said. Quintus nodded and ran off. "Zoë, where did this happen?" I was about to answer before Sam burst from the forest and shouted: "Chiron, I have to tell you. Percy, Zoë, and I were attacked at Zeus' Fist."

"Where did you go?" I demanded. "Where were you while Percy was being thrown around by the monsters?"

"I ran to find Chiron," he said apologetically. "But, well, I got lost."

"None of that matters now," Chiron said. He blew on his conch shell and the sound resonated across the camp and into the forest. "We must go quickly." He picked up Sam and I and placed on his back. He galloped through the forest calling for all campers to meet at Zeus' Fist. We arrived and I rushed to the landmark. I climbed the narrow path and found…nothing. There was noting, no skeletons, no place to hide, no Percy. I examined the area for signs indicating which direction they had gone, but felt my blood freeze as I saw the small symbol.

"Di immortals," a voice gasped behind me. It was Clarisse; she had followed my gaze and saw the symbol. A small Greek Delta carved into the rock face. We walked back down to the growing group of campers. Chiron looked expectantly at us.

"It's here," Clarisse said numbly. "An entry point." Chiron looked troubled, but not surprised.

"Entry point to what?" a camper asked.

"The Labyrinth," I muttered.

* * *

Chiron, Argus, Quintus, the counselors, and I had met in the Big House's Rec Room to discuss the situation.

"There's no doubt about it," Clarisse said gravely. "There's an entrance to the Labyrinth within the camp."

"What does that mean exactly?" the Silena Beauregard asked.

"It means the Titans can bypass our borders whenever they want," the Athena counselor, Malcolm, said. "That is, if they can navigate it."

"There are ways," Quintus said. "No doubt the Titans are searching for one of them."

"What about Percy?" Beckendorf asked. "What happened to him?" All eyes turned to me. I didn't want to talk, but it was unavoidable. I told them everything from the first encounter with the scorpions to my dash through the forest.

"Hmpf, figures she would've let this happen," the Dionysus counselor said.

"What does that mean?" I asked threateningly.

"What were you doing while Percy fought the monsters?" he asked sarcastically. "You didn't do anything; you let Percy fight them alone. And then, you let them get away. But, what else could you expect from the child of a Titan?" I almost decked the guy, but Clarisse beat me to it.

"Listen, punk," she began. "Only an idiot would try to take on four Sparti alone and without the appropriate weapons; and no person, sane or otherwise, would willingly go into the Labyrinth at all." The Dionysus camper mumbled an awkward and reluctant apology.

"Would anyone else like to make a comment?" Clarisse asked the counselors. Silence. "Thought not." The daughter of Ares retook her seat and nodded to me; I returned the nod and my respect for the girl rose.

"But Pollux has a point," Malcolm said wary glance to Clarisse. "How do we know we can really trust you, Zoë?"

"The same way you trust me," Chiron said. Every head snapped to him. "At least most of you know the truth behind my parentage, yes?" Malcolm opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and hung his head in shame along with many of the older counselors.

"My father is Kronos, to those of you who do not know," Chiron said. "None of you bear me any ill will for this fact, and Zoë has been at odds with her own father for almost as long as I. Keep this in mind in the future." The counselors nodded.

"In any case," Quintus interrupted the silence. "It would seem that we have a camper trapped within the Labyrinth. I believe this calls for a quest." He said with a glance at Chiron.

"Indeed," Chiron agreed. "We cannot sit idly by and leave Percy to the mercy of both the Sparti and the Labyrinth. But, we must also find means to protect ourselves against an invasion through the Labyrinth."

"We could set up traps and defenses around the entrance," Beckendorf suggested.

"Why not just blow it to Hades," one of the Stoll brothers chimed in. "With enough TNT and Greek fire, we could…"

"Waste all kinds of time," Clarisse interrupted. "Nothing short of Zeus' Master Bolt can put so much as a scratch in the Labyrinth."

"Clarisse is right," Chiron said. "We shall certainly set up defenses, but a more permanent solution is to ensure that the enemy cannot navigate the Labyrinth. Ariadne's String is an artifact used to navigate the Labyrinth during Theseus' Quest. If we can procure it, we might slow down the enemy."

"Where is the String exactly?" Beckendorf asked.

"With Daedalus, more likely than not," Quintus said. This comment spread confusion, and some suspicion among the room's occupants.

"Isn't Daedalus dead?" Malcolm asked. Many others chorused this question. Quintus shrugged.

"It is a question that has been the subject of controversy for years," he said. "But, I for one believe he lives."

"It is as good as we are likely to get," Chiron said. "A quest will be dispatched tomorrow to search out Daedalus in the Labyrinth, and rescue Perseus."

"Who's going to go?" a Stoll brother asked. His brother glanced towards Clarisse.

"Before you even ask," she said. "Not a chance in Hades."

"Why not, Clarisse?" the Stoll asked. "You scared or something?" The joking expression on his face disappeared against Clarisse's harsh look.

"You don't know anything about it, punk," she said. "I'm never going back down there. Never." She stormed out of the room.

I didn't blame Clarisse. The Labyrinth terrified me more than anything else, even my father. But, I couldn't abandon Percy to that hell.

"I'll go," I said. All noise vanished from the room. Chiron again looked troubled, but not surprised. He nodded.

"Very well," he said. "You should visit the Oracle now." I nodded numbly and walked from the room, up the stairs, and into the attic. I stood before the corpse of the Oracle. I waited for it to speak first, to question my intention, as was the process. It merely sat on its stool and made no move. I glanced at its feet and noticed small piles of dead skin and clumps of hair. The body itself looked worse than it had the last time I had seen it. I cleared my throat as if this action might provoke a reaction from the body.

"Oracle, I seek guidance for the Quest before me," I said. "What wisdom do you offer?" The corpse remained passive.

I remained in the attic for a few minutes longer before returning to the Rec Room. Questions awaited my re-entry.

"What prophecy did the Oracle give?" Chiron asked. I shook my head.

"She said nothing," I said. "Nothing at all." This time, Chiron looked both troubled and surprised.

"This…is not a good sign," he said half to himself.

"What does it mean?" I asked. "In all my time, the Oracle has never been silent when approached about a Quest." Chiron nodded.

"This is strange, but it cannot be helped," he said. "This Quest is too important to postpone. You will have to undertake this without a prophecy. Who shall you take with you?" I was about to answer that I would go alone, but two new arrivals cut me short.

"I'll go!" Tyson and Grover said in unison.

"I'll come whether you accept me or not, Zoë," Grover said.

"Me too," Tyson bellowed. "I will help save, brother." I sighed.

"Very well," I said reluctantly. "But you'll have to keep up, _boys_." I said. They both nodded vigorously.

"Very well," Chiron said. "You should all go get some rest and prepare for the Quest. You leave at dawn. This council is dismissed.

* * *

_Camp Half-Blood was asleep. The campers were submerged in their ignorance that they were safe. Nowhere is safe, as they will learn soon. The former hunter would be entering the Labyrinth in search of her friend, my servants would soon catch up to the sea child to end his pitiful life, and the Fates could do nothing to stop the events in motion, nor their inevitable end. These mortals were no threat, and the Olympians would not accept my return until they stood face to face with their doom. _

_Only here, in this small attic, did I face my only true obstacle. She was once a powerful foe, but now an old and decaying corpse. I moved forward a step in the dim light of the attic before the green smoke appeared around her. The corpse stood. _

"_You should not have come here," it spoke in a raspy voice. _

"_Is that so?" I replied calmly. "And why is that?" _

"_Even you are not such a fool as to face us now," it said. _

"_True," I conceded. "But you are not such fools as to fight me." The corpse growled in frustration, a would be menacing sound had the body been a little younger and fresher. _

"_Even you can not deny that the odds are in my favor," I continued. "Neither of us have the power to destroy the other, but I can outlast you. How many years are you losing simply by standing, by protecting your servants, by issuing your prophecies? Face it, you will not be victorious this time 'sisters'."_

"_Be gone from the place!" the corpse shouted and the green smoke flared up around it as a cobra would flare out its hood to scare away a foe. I took an unintentional step back, old memories of pain and defeat came to me and I frowned despite myself. _

"_Very well," I said. "But I will return, and that time shall be the time of your downfall." As I finished, I turned and left the attic. I bent the mist around myself so as to hide my self from the eternal vigilant of Argus. Soon, very soon, our new war would begin in earnest. And when it did, the world would fall into my hands. _

_The true Hands of Fate._

* * *

**This chapter is done, on to the next. I really have no idea when it will come. It won't be yesterday, that is all I can say. **

**Trivia: "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark… and we're wearing sunglasses."**

**Rules: simply say where this quote comes from this time.**

**Reward: see previous rewards.**

**Arrivederci**


	12. Chapter 12

**This is chapter 12. I'm running out of ways to make these intros interesting, sorry.**

**To: DeathmatchDrunkard: ****it is very much an AU. I have a vague outline of how I want the story to go, but I'm pretty much making this up as I go along. In a manner of speaking, I'm allowing the story to take over. **

**To everybody who didn't review: :(**

**Disclaimer: you know the drill. **

* * *

Before me lay the wreckage of Talos. We had scoured as much as we could, but Bianca was gone. I had failed her. Thalia was dead, lying cold in Percy's arms. I had failed her. Selena and Diana were dead. The Hellhounds had torn them to shreds, and I could only run. I had failed them. Percy was dead; alone in the Labyrinth and hunted down by monsters. I had failed him.

I awoke suddenly in a cold sweat and it took several moments to calm my rapid breathing. 'It's only a dream,' I tell myself, but it's impossible to rid myself of the images, the memories. I do not know what terrifies me more, the Labyrinth or the possibility of more failure. I had left the Hunters to avoid endangering others, but now I had to take these two, the satyr and the cyclops, with me into one of the most dangerous places in existence.

As sleep continued to evade me, I put on some clothes and exited the Big House. I walked underneath the stars, allowing their comforting light to sooth me and take away my fear. Before I knew it, I stood once more before Zeus' Fist. A few silent tears rolled down my cheeks.

"I don't know if I can do this," I whispered to myself. I jumped when I received a response.

"You can, my huntress," a voice said. "You have before and you must do so again." I turned to see Lady Artemis standing before me in a column of moonlight. I kneeled partly out of habit.

"Lady Artemis," I said. "Why are you here?"

"Because you seek my guidance, Zoë," she responded. "You did not have to ask. I know how difficult this must be for you to do." More tears.

"I don't want to fail again, Lady Artemis," I said almost sobbing. "That time, years ago, I failed then and I don't want that to happen again."

"Of course not, Zoë," Artemis comforted. "But, you must forgive yourself. Selena and Diana would not want you to dwell on their deaths. They sacrificed themselves so you could survive."

"And what of Bianca, or Thalia!" I cried. "They followed me on that quest and I failed them! Percy stood up for me when no one else did, and I do not want to fail him!"

"You won't, Zoë," Artemis said calmly. "If there is one thing I know about that boy, it is that the Fates walk with him. He bested Ares when he was twelve. He ventured into the Sea of Monsters with all of the odds against him and survived. He stood beside you against your father. The Sparti will be hard pressed to kill him."

"But…" I began.

"He will meet you halfway, Zoë," Artemis continued. "He will stay alive, but you must go the rest of the way and rescue him. You are his only hope right now, Zoë."

I remained silent in the face of the goddess' speech. I knew that she spoke the truth, but my own demons fought that truth into near submission. I took a shaky breath and turned to face the pile of rocks again.

"Do you truly believe in me, Lady Artemis?" I asked, but the goddess was gone. Where she had stood, a bow now rested on the ground in the silvery light of the moon. It was a hunter's bow. I had given up my old weapons and equipment upon my resignation, but I had still longed to hold them again. I picked up the bow and held it gingerly in my grasp. The message was clear: Lady Artemis did believe in me.

If only I could believe in myself.

* * *

The sun rose slowly that morning, as if Apollo himself dreaded what was to come this day. I could not blame him. I had not gotten any sleep since my nightmare, but I was alert and felt not the slightest touch of fatigue. My equipment was ready, my bow in hand, but nerves far from prepared.

All of camp had assembled at Zeus' Fist to see us off. The satyr was conversing with a nymph; she seemed distraught. The cyclops was tinkering with a pile of scraps in his massive hands. Chiron had a grim expression on his face, as one would wear at a funeral.

"Are you all prepared?" Chiron asked us. The boys nodded weakly, but I merely stared at the rocks.

"Very well, good hunting," he said. We walked slowly towards Zeus' Fist, but were interrupted by Quintus.

"Wait, Zoë," he said.

"Yes?" I asked. My nerves were on edge and merely speaking caused my stomach to roll with anxiety.

"You should take this," he said handing me a long, thin object that burnt my skin from cold. Stygian ice, I recognized immediately.

"Why are you giving me this?" I asked. My fears were momentarily replaced by curiosity.

"It's a whistle, to summon Mrs. O'Leary during a time of need," the man explained. "I hope you won't have to use it, but just in case. I assume you are familiar with its properties." I nodded.

"It can only be used once, but is effective anywhere," I confirmed. He nodded.

"Yes, well may it serve you well should the need arise," he said and returned to Chiron's side. There was something about the old man that unsettled me, but I wasn't sure what it was.

I turned to face the others. They had already climbed the rocks and were waiting for me. I trudged up the tiny path and opened the gateway to the Labyrinth. Steeling our nerves, we descended into the darkness glancing one last time at the light of day.

The tunnel we were in was simply a concrete cube that shot off in either direction for who knew how long. Grover took out his flashlight and shined it around us, taking in the barren walls and lack of sunlight or fresh air. As for me, I felt old fears swell within me; fears I had not felt in ages.

"Which way do we go?" Grover asked glancing at me. I didn't answer at first. I knelt down and combed the floor for something, anything that showed signs of recent activity. After several minutes of silence, I found it, a vague footprint in the dust pointing off in one direction. Further down, I discovered a second, then a third. I was running down the corridor now, following the signs: a footprint in the dust, a jagged scratch along a wall, a scrap of clothing, and several drops of dried blood. I stopped here as my mind swirled with possibilities.

'The Sparti do not bleed,' I thought. 'It could only be Percy. Is he injured? Did they kill him?'

"What'd you find?" Grover asked.

"They came this way," I said almost to myself, the events of Percy's struggle unfolding before me. "Percy was followed by the Sparti. They were shooting at him." I noticed several bullet-holes in the wall. "They got a cut in here or there." Scattered drops of blood were more frequent now. "He… he lost his shield." Percy's watch lay abandoned on the ground. It was broken beyond repair and covered lightly in dust.

"No!" Tyson bellowed. "Brother's shield, it broke. What happened then?" He asked desperately with tears threatening to escape his eye. I glanced around quickly and noticed more: scraps of orange clothed nailed to the wall by a knife, empty bullet shells, and more blood. I felt hopelessness settle in as I saw the signs.

I pressed on in hopes of finding something that would give me a straight answer. We came to a large, circular chamber. It had multiple passages splitting off in multiple directions, but what caught my attention was the bead necklace on the floor. The cord was severed, the beads nearly crushed into nothingness, and it was covered in blood. I sank to my knees before it. Grover and Tyson followed suit.

Five minutes, it hasn't been even that long and I have already failed.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Zoë Nightshade," a voice said. "It's been awhile, has it not?" I looked up to see two unwelcome faces.

"Janus," I spat out. "What do you want?"

"Oh come now, Zoë," the left face said. "It's almost like you're unhappy to see us."

"I am unhappy," I said with open hostility. "You are not welcome here."

"Yeah, we get that a lot," the right faced replied flippantly. "Nobody ever welcomes tough decisions. But that doesn't mean they don't come."

Janus had a key that he tossed from hand to hand. Two doors appeared behind him where none had been before.

"What's it going to be, Zoë?" the right face asked. "One way might lead you to your friend, but the other leads to certain death. Come on, we don't have all day."

"Actually we do have all day," left said. "What with master's return and everything, we haven't had much work."

"Shut up!" right hissed. "They're not to know."

"What master?" I asked. "Kronos?"

"Yes," right said quickly. "N-" left began to say something before right practically shoved their key down his throat.

"Shut up!" right repeated. Left remained silent this time.

"Now, Zoë, what's your choice?" right asked. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Do you really hope to confuse me with this, Janus?" I questioned. "You say you give choices, but spread only indecision. I shall say this one more time: leave!" I raised my bow with two arrows notched, each pointed at Janus' faces. Janus frowned.

"You can run and hide from your choices, Zoë," right said. "But, you'll never escape them."

"You've been running for years," left said. "Hiding behind Artemis' skirts. Now you're on your own and you'll have to face the music soon.

"We'll be back, little Zoë," Janus' faces said in unison. "You won't escape again." They disappeared in a flash of light and took their doors with them. Now we were in the chamber we had been in, but all passages had disappeared.

"Where did the passages go?" Grover asked. "Did Janus take them or something?"

"No, the Labyrinth changed," I said grimly.

"But, it's not alive or anything, right?" he asked on the verge of panic. Anger and annoyance had taken over in the presence of Janus, but now the fear returned.

"I wish that were true, boy," I said slowly. "The Labyrinth is always growing, always adding more pieces to itself. One can get anywhere through the Labyrinth, but few dare to make such a perilous journey." Grover looked at me curiously for several seconds.

"Wait a moment," the satyr said. "You've been here before, in the Labyrinth, I mean." I sighed.

"Yes," I answered. "But, that was many years ago."

Grover didn't pursue the subject, but he did so reluctantly.

"Where we go?" Tyson asked looking around at the barren walls. "Must find Percy." I looked down at what remained of Percy's necklace. One bead was mostly intact, a black one with a green trident. It was cracked, but I gently lifted it and placed it in a small pouch I carried. The second bead was completely unrecognizable.

"Yes, we must find Percy," I agreed. "But, first we need to get out of this chamber."

"How do we do that?" Grover asked.

"I could help with that," a new voice said kindly.

We all turned to face our second immortal visitor to our quest. Hera, the goddess of family stood before us with an aura of power around her. Grover dropped to his knees upon realizing who she was, and Tyson followed his example. I remained standing.

"Hera," I stated simply.

"Zoë Nightshade," Hera replied. We had a "complex" relationship, the Queen of Olympus and I; mostly concerning a certain son of Zeus. On the one hand, I had aided Heracles in stealing from her sacred garden, but on the other hand, it was because of her that Heracles had ruined my life. I had no love for the goddess, but there was no real animosity between us.

"No disrespect," I began playing it safe. "But why are you here?"

"What, I'm not allowed to take time out of my schedule to aid a quest I favor?" she asked sweetly.

"No, you do not simply help out a quest simply for the sake of helping out," I said no longer playing it safe. "I do not know what you want, but playing coy will not help you." Hera's motherly smile all but disappeared entirely. She sighed.

"Very well," she said. "Here's the deal: I can point you in the right direction on this quest, but in return…" I cut her off.

"In return, we prevent the Titans from wiping out Camp Half-Blood," I said. "Without which, Olympus would be drastically weakened." Hera looked ready to turn me into a pile of ash.

"Um, Zoë," Grover whispered. "Maybe you shouldn't…"

"Decide now, boy," I said glaring at him. "Who would you rather have as an enemy?"

The satyr glanced between the angry immortal and me several times before taking an odd interest in his fake feet.

"The satyr speaks true, Zoë," Hera said. "It would be wise to show some respect." I walked up to Hera and stared her dead in the eye.

"I have no quarrel with you, Hera," I said. But, I also have little respect for one who would take everything I cared for and rip it from me."

"Heracles was the one…"

"Yes, but it was ultimately you that is the root of it all," I said. "Now, we require aid on this quest; a quest that can only help your cause. If you are truly as you say you are, you will help us." Hera was now holding back her true form from revealing itself by the barest of threads.

"You dare speak to me like this," she hissed furiously.

"Yes, I dare," I challenged. "What are you going to do? The Ancient Laws bind you like all immortals, and even you are not so much a fool as to abandon us in this place."

"Not all immortals," she said ominously after quiet minutes of seething. "Some are not bound by the Laws. But, I'm sure you'll find that out soon enough." The Queen of Olympus began to glow with pure power, and I closed my eyes against the power. When I looked again, Hera was gone, but a new passageway had opened up.

"Come on," I said. I heard my companions follow me down the new corridor. I began to see more signs: bullet shells, footprints, and blood. We passed through multiple corridors and chambers, but largely ignored the scenery around us. I had to turn back several times when I temporarily lost the trail and had to backtrack, but we seemed to be making good time. The signs became fresher and more recent. We came to a halt when we found the skeletons.

Three of the Sparti were dead on the ground in front of us. This sight was so unexpected we didn't move for several minutes after finding them.

"Are they dead?" Grover asked hesitantly. I didn't answer, but pulled out my hunting knife and advanced slowly towards the skeletons. It quickly became apparent that not only were they dead, but they had killed each other. One had a sword stuck in its chest that belonged to either it or one of its comrades, another had a bullet hole in its head, and the third was chopped into pieces in a way that Percy was incapable of inflicting on an opponent.

"They're dead," I called back to the others. They gazed at the corpses in awe.

"Did Percy make them dead?" Tyson asked.

"No," I said shaking my head. "They killed each other."

"Why would they do that?" Grover asked incredulously.

"Do you recall the story of Jason?" I asked. He nodded.

"Jason threw a rock at them and they killed each other because…" he trailed off as understanding dawned on him.

"Because they thought they were being attacked by their own," I finished. "It is one of the few weaknesses of a Spartus. If one is attacked by a comrade, it will fight back until the other is dead. In these close quarters, Percy must have gotten them to fight and kill each other."

"There were four Sparti, though," Grover said. It was my turn to nod.

"Yes, the last one killed its comrades then continued to hunt Percy," I said. "It's hard to say who will be victorious if the two fight again. Percy can hold his own against one if he has to, but the Spartus can outlast him and come back to fight as many times as is necessary."

"Maybe Percy can lose it in the Labyrinth," Grover said optimistically. I was shaking my head before he finished.

"He will become lost himself before losing the Spartus," I said. "They are the ultimate hunters. I'm surprised Percy managed to lose them for as long as he did six months ago. They follow their prey obsessively."

"Is Percy safe?" Tyson asked.

"I don't know," I said uncertainly. "Relatively speaking, the word 'safe' loses all meaning within the Labyrinth. But, I believe he is still alive."

"Standing around won't help Percy," Grover said. He began walking off in the direction of more footprints. Tyson followed close behind. I hesitated for several heartbeats. The heat of the moment had taken over, and I had barely registered where I truly was; it was almost like the old days; just another hunt through unknown territory. I took several deep breaths to keep down the memories.

'I can do this,' I thought to myself. 'Lady Artemis believes in me. I will find Percy, and get him out of this gods-forsaken place.'

* * *

_Angelina Everheart, she was sitting against a tree a few feet away reading a book when I found her. For a time, I just stood there and watched her, waited. Then, she seemed to sense me. She looked up. When her green eyes met mine, I knew that she was one of them. She became nervous as she set down her book._

"_Um, can I help you?" she asked hesitantly. I didn't respond, but instead walked slowly towards her. Her eyes were filled with fear. _

"_Who… who are you?" I remained silent as a black sword appeared in my hand. I raised it so that the point faced her. She began to rise, but she never finished. My sword flew from my hand and found her heart. The force of it slammed her body back against the tree and stuck there for a moment. Then the sword flew back into my hand and I hid it within my cloak. The girl's body fell to the ground and became still. I allowed a small smile to appear on my face. _

"_One more joins the others," I muse to myself. "As many are yet to follow."_

* * *

**That was Chapter 12. Thank you to all who are still reading this. **

**I'm starting something new this time. Story recommendations. I saw someone do it on a story I read recently, and thought it was a good idea. (The author I got the idea from was known as Texas Longhorn, grazie.)**

**Recommendations:**

**1) ****_Child of Light _by wolfgirl1221. This story has an interesting plot line, and is written almost exactly like the actually books. At the very least, give it a look and decide for yourself.**

**2) ****_Everlasting Promises_ by Starblade176. As if I even have to recommend this one.**

**3) ****_A Legend's Curse _by The Struggling Warrior. This story is beautifully written and**

**has one of the most mysterious storylines I've seen on this site. **

**4) ****Pretty much any story by TheseusLives. They're all pretty good, especially the more recent ones.**

**5) ****_A New Journey _by Texas Longhorn. This is actually a Pokémon fanfic that I wasn't sure about at first, but turned out to be one of the best stories I've ever read.**

**Trivia: Same as last time.**

**That is all for this time.**

**Arrivederci**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 out of... more to come. Need I say more?**

**Review answers:**

**To LyingTruth123: Not to be rude or anything, but what is your definition of 'soon'?**

**To HadesGDT: I've answered this question before, and the answer hasn't changed. I believe my previous answers are in another chapter somewhere.**

**To DeathmatchDrunkard: Yes, she is an OC, and she has more importance than I think any of you realize. If anybody remembers Isabelle the hunter of Artemis from several chapters back, its the same situation.**

**To IwooIDreamIwritestories: Thanks for all of the reviews, and no, I won't stop abusing the cliff-hangers. In any case, its nice to see that at least somebody doesn't know what's going on. Also, this is not a Khaos fic. Khaos will have some involvement much later on, but it will be nowhere near what has ever been done on this fandom. (Possibly an exaggeration, but we shall see.)**

**Random fact for today: Did you know that it is possible to write fanfictions for... *wait for it* ...The Bible. W-T-F**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ or any associated titles. All rights and reservations go to Rick Riordan.**

* * *

The Labyrinth was not as bad as I had anticipated. Yes, it was dark and had untold amounts of danger within it, but we had yet to encounter these dangers. Yes, it was massive, ever changing, and people had the tendency to become lost forever, but we were not hopelessly lost. Yes, I had been terrified of entering the Labyrinth again, but those old fears seemed to shrink the longer I was in here. My only fear now, was that we would not reach Percy in time to save him.

"How much farther?" Grover asked.

"It is hard to tell," I responded as I examined the discarded pistol of the last Spartus. It was cut in half and had begun to rust. "It seems to have been here for some time, yet we appeared to be gaining on our quarry."

"Is brother safe?" Tyson asked for the thousandth time.

"Safer, at least, now that the Spartus no longer has its gun," I assured him.

"Well which way do we…" Grover trailed off as his head snapped to look back the way we had come.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Something big is coming," Tyson said, evidently on the same page as Grover.

"Run," Grover said simply. I didn't argue, and the three of us were now running further and further into the Labyrinth. I only stopped when I noticed the trail of Percy and the Spartus heading off into a side passage. I began to head into it, but Tyson grabbed me and practically dragged me as he and Grover continued their mad dash away from whatever was following us.

"Let me go!" I shouted. "We have to go that way!"

They didn't seem to hear me. By now, I could hear the creature over the labored breathing of my companions. It was obviously big, but it was too far back for me to see what it was. While looking back, I failed to see that Tyson had stopped. I ran into him and almost fell backwards before he caught me.

"What is the hold up?" I asked, slightly annoyed that we might have lost the trail entirely.

"Big rock," Tyson said motioning towards the massive slab of stone before us. I turned back and felt fear well inside me, as the creature got closer. It felt…wrong, to be the prey, to be the one cowering in the corner as the predator loomed closer. We had to move.

"Can you move it?" I asked the cyclops. He was moving before I finished. His fists pounded away at the stone and shook the tunnel. I turned back the way we had come and put an arrow in my bow. The creature was closer now, but still out of sight. I shot my arrow in its direction experimentally, but instantly regretted it. The creature roared whether from anger, pain, or both and increased its pace towards us.

"You probably shouldn't have done that," Grover whimpered unhelpfully.

"I agree," I said.

"Done!" Tyson said as the boulder rolled to the side. We dashed through and Tyson rolled the stone back into place. We could hear the creature's roars of outrage as its prey escaped. It attacked the boulder, but the massive object held firm. We all breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Um, where are we exactly?" Grover asked. "This doesn't seem like the Labyrinth." He was right. Though we were still in some form of structure, the atmosphere was noticeably different than moments ago. We were in some form of…cell, maybe. The room we stood in was made almost entirely of concrete, barely big enough for the three of us, and the far wall was composed of vertical iron bars.

"This seems familiar," I said looking out of the openings between the bars. Through them I could see rows of cells in a ring around a dark courtyard and at least three stories of metal doors and catwalks.

"A prison," I said. "Maybe Tyson can break…"

"Shh," said Grover. "Listen."

Somewhere above us, deep sobbing echoed through the building. There was another sound, too; a raspy voice muttering something that I couldn't make out. Though I couldn't tell in the slightest what it was, it sent chills down my spine and a red flag went up in my head. 'Out of the frying pan,' I thought bitterly.

"Can't be," Tyson murmured. He pushed past me and bent the bars apart with enough room for him to fit through comfortably. Grover and I followed him more to keep him in our sights than actual desire to investigate. My instincts kept berating me to run, hide, find high ground, set a trap, anything other than walk towards the raspy voice. But, I kept walking forward as my grip on my bow tightened.

The voice became louder, and so too did the sobbing. It was coming from the second-floor balcony, but we couldn't make out what was inside yet. I looked over and saw Grover more terrified than I had ever seen him before. He was sweating and his eyes were wide with fear. For what ever reason though, he continued following the cyclops.

"What is that?" I whispered.

"Its scent… horrible," Grover muttered. I knew that Grover meant that its scent was strong, the stronger the scent, the more powerful the monster. Grover is by no means a lionheart, but he knew his scents. Whatever was up there, it gave fear a whole new meaning for the satyr.

Finally, Tyson came to a stop and we followed his gaze. My heart sank as I beheld the creature. Kampê, the ancient jailor of Tartarus, was before us.

"Kampê," I breathed, hardly daring to make noise in the presence on this monster. I had heard stories of the monster from Lady Artemis, but those stories of death and destruction became reality as I studied the massive dragon-like creature. What part of my rational mind that was still alive registered several things about her: her scimitars, the animal heads at her waist, and scaly hide, among other things.

"What is she saying?" I whispered as Kampê continued speaking. Whether she was speaking to someone, or to herself I couldn't tell.

"Tyson closed his eye and began to speak in a horrible, raspy woman's voice. "You will work for the master or suffer."

"I will not serve," Tyson said, now in a deep, wounded voice.

"Then I shall enjoy your pain, Briares," Tyson faltered when he said that name. 'Briares?' I thought. 'I can't be, could it?'

"If you thought your first imprisonment was unbearable, you have yet to feel true torment. Think on this until I return," Tyson said in Kampê's voice.

Kampê tromped toward the stairwell and spread wings that I hadn't noticed before, huge bat wings she kept folded against her dragon back. She leaped off the catwalk and soared across the courtyard. A hot sulfurous wind blasted my face as the monster flew over. Then she disappeared around the corner.

Tyson wasted no time rushing towards the recently occupied cell. Grover hurried after him, but I hesitated. Kampê could return at any moment, that tiny cell was the absolute last place to be in that event. It crossed my mind to leave them here, return to the Labyrinth, find Percy and Daedalus, and leave the Labyrinth forever. But, I quickly expelled that thought. I couldn't abandon them; not like Diana and Selena. I felt tears begin to form, but I wiped them away furiously and hurried after my companions.

I didn't know what I expected to see when I reached the cell, but what I saw was not it.

"A Hekatonkheires," I muttered in disbelief. They were supposedly dead, killed off long ago by unknown forces. Yet, here was one, a hundred-handed one. Though it didn't look very magnificent. I had been taught that the Hekatonkheires were among the mightiest creatures on the planet, able to crush mountains underneath their fists and forge weapons of unsurpassable brilliance, such as Zeus' Bolt. But the creature before me was small, pale, and based on the red around his eyes, spent the majority of his time crying.

Tyson was talking to him urgently. "You are a Hundred-Handed One!" Tyson insisted. "You can do anything!"

"I cannot," Briares moaned. "Kampê is back! The Titans will rise and throw us back into Tartarus."

"Put on your brave face!" Tyson said.

Immediately Briares's face morphed into something else. Same brown eyes, but otherwise totally different features. He had an upturned nose, arched eyebrows, and a weird smile, like he was trying to act brave. But then his face turned back to what it had been before.

"No good," he said. "My scared face keeps coming back." I had heard of the hundred-handed ones and their fifty faces, but the truth of it was different than I expected.

Tyson was still entranced. "It will be okay, Briares! We will help you! Can I have your autograph?"

Briares sniffled. "Do you have one hundred pens?"

"Guys," Grover interrupted. "We have to get out of here. Kampê will be back. She'll sense us sooner or later."

"Break the bars," I suggested.

"Yes!" Tyson said, smiling proudly. "Briares can do it. He is very strong, stronger than Cyclopes, even! Watch!"

Briares whimpered. A dozen of his hands started playing patty-cake, but none of them made any attempt to break the bars. To say I was surprised would be a gross understatement. I might not idolize Briares as Tyson did, but I had expected much more form one as ancient and powerful as him.

"What is the matter with you!" I snapped. "You are a Hekatonkheires, the eldest child of Gaia and Ouranus. You were that which assured the gods victory in the first war. Now you sit here like a scared child."

"Kampê, she…" Briares began. He seemed surprised by my outburst, but didn't seem any less scared.

"She is nothing compared to you," I told him. "She did not imprison you or your brothers. It was Kronos and the Titans. They imprisoned you and left you to the mercy of Kampê. Now they are returning and you do nothing."

"You don't understand," he said. There was still fear in his voice, but it had lessened. He spoke firmly and his face had changed slightly; it was not anger or fear, but something in between.

"What don't I understand?" I asked. "You allow Kampê to imprison and torture you out of fear; fear of what happened long ago. That time is gone, you must fight back before it's to late." The irony of my words was not lost on me. Here I was, still being controlled by my old fears and berating another, who had more reason than I, for succumbing to his. However, Briares face was no longer afraid. It even looked slightly angry. He rose from his squatting position and loomed over me.

"You don't know what it's like!" he said. "To live in fear all your life, to feel pain on every level imaginable everyday for millennia. Now my brothers are gone and Kampê has returned to take her revenge for what happened."

"Are you going to let her?" I asked quietly. Briares face morphed into one of bewilderment.

"What do you mean?' he sounded confused at my question, like it was the last thing he expected to hear.

"Are you just going to let het win without a fight?" I asked. "Are you going to give up and go back to being her plaything? Or will you fight back as the powerful being you truly are?" My words had a clear effect on him. He stepped away from me and seemed to shrink slightly as the anger left him to be replaced by deep thought.

"What am I to do?" he asked. "Fear of her is all I've ever known."

"Fight back," I said. "She is strong, but you are stronger. The Titans themselves fear you. That is why Kampê imprisoned you, so you couldn't fight against them." He nodded slowly and was about to respond when his pale face became deathly white. His eyes widened as he looked over my shoulder.

I whirled to see Kampê glaring at us from the ground floor. Subconsciously, I fired an arrow directly at her eye, but the monster deflected it with her scimitar.

She roared and shouted in her ancient language, but none of us stopped to listen as we bolted down the catwalk. We scrambled down the stairs, through a corridor, and past a guard's station, and out into another block of prison cells. We turned left and burst out into a prison yard, ringed by security towers and barbed wire. After being in darkness for so long, the sunlight nearly blinded me. I looked around quickly and nearly had a stroke as I saw Mount Tamalpais off in the distance. We were in San Francisco and this was Alcatraz Prison. Storm clouds swirled over the mountain, indicating the dark powers amassed there.

"Keep moving!" Briares wailed when I hadn't moved for several seconds. "She is behind us!" The doors we had just exited exploded as Kampê entered the courtyard. The mortal tourists, who apparently found this horrible place worth visiting, screamed and fled toward the docks.

"Any plans?" Grover asked desperately.

"Boat," Tyson said.

"No, it is too slow," I said. "We must get back to the Labyrinth."

"How?" Grover asked. "We have a giant goat-killing behemoth in our way."

I turned to Briares and saw him looking at me with a new light in his eyes, determination.

"Go," he said. "I'll stall her and meet you inside." Tyson looked at the hundred-handed one with awe. Grover looked like he was about to have a panic attack. Me, I was looking at the Hekatonkheires with newfound respect. He seemed to grow and his face morphed into true anger as he slowly advanced towards his old enemy.

Kampê launched herself at Briares, only to be swatted away by his many fists. She landed heavily on the other side of the courtyard. But, she quickly rose and looked more angry than hurt. I noticed a couple cuts on Briares arms. Kampê had managed to cut him with her scimitars. Briares looked to be in immense pain, but stood his ground as Kampê charged again.

Grover, Tyson, and I didn't stick around to watch the fight any further, though. We had run back into Alcatraz the moment Kampê was fully focused on Briares. We found the cell we had come through and I slammed my hand onto the delta symbol. The Greek rune glowed blue and the passageway began to open before us. Grover and Tyson rushed in when it was wide enough, but I stayed and waited. I didn't wait long as Briares bolted into our cell and into the Labyrinth. I followed suit and closed the passageway just as Kampê entered our cell. She slammed herself against the barrier, but it was no good. We were safe.

* * *

"Thank you," Briares said sometime later while we were wandering through the Labyrinth trying to regain the trail of Percy and the Spartus.

"For what?" I asked. "You saved us from Kampê." He was shaking his head.

"Maybe, but you saved me from myself, my fear," he responded. " You spoke the truth, I had allowed my fear of Kampê rule my life. For saving me from continuing on like that, you have my thanks."

"What will you do now?" I asked. He had his whole life ahead of him, no more imprisonment or torture.

"I do not know," he said uncertainly. "I need time to think."

"Well, I wish you luck," I responded. A small smile appeared on his face, and his eyes shone with joy.

"To you, as well," he replied. "On your quest and in finding your friend. Farewell." He walked over to Tyson and said some words to him. Tyson looked considerably happier after that. Grover seemed content to just say good-bye without any added pleasantries. I was reminded of Grover's fear of Cyclopes. He must have been at least uncomfortable around Briares. We watched the Hekatonkheires walk off into the darkness of the Labyrinth until he was lost to sight.

"Come on," I said after a moment of silence. "We still have to find Percy." They nodded and we began our search anew. I couldn't help but remember Mount Tam and the storm above it. Even if we completed this quest successfully, if we saved Percy and found Daedalus, it wouldn't be over.

'Into the fire,' I thought to myself.

* * *

A dead end, so much irony revolved around those two words. I had been running for… for the gods know how long, and now it was over. I turned to face my enemy. The last skeleton stood blocking the only means of escape. His sword was held before him and his grin seemed real for once and not just an optical illusion. I raised Riptide and prepared for the end to begin.

The skeleton took a step towards me, and then stopped. He chattered something that I couldn't begin to decipher. He looked angry now. He chattered more. After several moments of silence, he lowered his sword and looked at me with absolute loathing. Then, he did the unexpected; he turned and walked away. I stood dumbfounded for an immeasurable amount of time before slowly sitting down with my back against a wall as the exhaustion of the last few days came crashing down on me.

I didn't know why the skeleton had left; honestly, I couldn't care less as to why. I looked down at Riptide and noticed rivulets of red liquid running across the floor. I had a feeling that it was my blood, but I didn't care. I just need rest.

'I'll just rest for a moment,' I thought to myself as I sank slowly in oblivion.

* * *

**In case some of you didn't catch it, the last line break was a shift into Percy's POV. The 'mysterious voices' from a previous chapters was a conversation between the Moirae (AKA the Fates). I thought this was obvious, but I guess not. **

**Trivia: Last chance to guess it before I move on. I know some of you have questions, why not try to answer them? **

**Recommendations:**

**1) _Lord Perseus Child of Rome, _by Anaklusmos14. This is technically a Khaos fic, but it is worth reading purely because of the major difference from its counterparts. Pairing is Percy/Zoë. I'll let you all judge it however you see fit. **

**2) _From the past,_ by ChildOfWisdom.**

**3) _The Unknown,_ by CourtingTheMoon. **

**Until next chapter.**

**Arrivederci**


	14. Chapter 14

**Ciao, benvenuta capitolo quattordici. Questo è tutto quello che ho...**

**Reviews: **

**To DeathmatchDrunkard: yes and no, it will be explained further in this chapter.**

**To splendid123456789: again, I've answered this question to the best of my ability before. Percy and Zoë's relationship will _develop_ throughout this story, if not become full on romance. However, I have big plans for the two of them, so just bear with me. (If any of you are only reading this story for a potential Percy/Zoë pairing, I hope that you have limitless amounts of patience.)**

**To LyingTruth123: I hope this is soon enough.**

***READ BELOW, THIS IS IMPORTANT***

**Message: Last chapter I commented on the fandom for the Bible. I actually don't expect many of you to care, and though I personally don't agree with it, I'm not going to sway any of you to any opinion. I'd just like to inform you of its existence and allow you to judge it as you see fit.**

**Disclaimer: I swear on my life that I do not own PJO, BTL, or any associated titles. Please enjoy my cheap knock off of the original that is worse that it in every way, shape, and form.**

* * *

Unfortunately, we were not able to find the side passage that we had passed before. But, we were able to pick up the trail farther back. We followed it, at a much faster pace, until we finally came full circle.

"How long do you think it's been?" Grover asked.

"What do you mean?" His question seemed random.

"How long ago did we actually start the quest?" he elaborated. "Time goes by faster in here, right? My week to find Pan is probably gone and it's only been a day for us." His statement was true; time was not the same as it was aboveground.

"You are probably correct," I said. "It is impossible to tell how long it has been, and no one knows how much longer this quest shall take."

"Is Percy close?" Tyson asked.

"Yes, unless I have lost all sense of tracking, and I have not, Percy is very close now," I replied.

We were in another dark corridor that was built sometime during the last couple of centuries. The bricks that lined the walls were discolored by age and crumbling in many places. A long forgotten coin I picked up recently was from the 17th century in England, but that did not assure anything. However, it was undeniable that we were in an older part of the Labyrinth. I was not sure if this was a good thing. People tended to die a lot in the past.

"There's a light up ahead," Grover said. I looked forward, and sure enough there was a faint glow coming from farther ahead.

"It looks like a flame," I noted as the distant shadows quivered slightly. "Torches, perhaps."

"Or something more dangerous," Grover said sniffing. "It's hard to tell, but I think there's something up there."

"A monster?" I whispered.

"No, it's more… I don't know," he said with more sniffing. "Let's get closer."

We all inched closer to light ahead of us. My bow was in my hand, but unloaded at the moment.

"It smells like… wait," Grover said inhaling deeply through his nose. "It's half-blood, that could be Percy." The satyr said running forward. At the mention of his brother, Tyson sprinted forward as well. I followed them, but my stomach was tied in knots as I wondered about the status of our intrepid friend. Glancing at the trail before me, I noticed that one set of footprints was heading away from the chamber. It had to be the Sparti, but if he had left Percy… Despair began to well inside as the possibilities formed in my mind.

We entered the chamber and our hearts dropped. Sitting against the far wall, with a puddle of blood circling him, was Percy Jackson. We ran to his side and kneeled there, none of us wanted to accept what we all thought. I saw a long, but shallow cut across his neck that was almost covered by dry blood. Numerous other cuts and bruises were covering his arms and face while his Camp Half-Blood t-shirt had largely become a ruddy brown color from his bleeding. Anaklusmos was gripped lightly in his left hand. The fact that it had not returned to his pocket was a very bad sign. I put two fingers to his neck with a hope that there would be something there. To my shock, I felt a weak, but constant, pulse.

"He is alive," I breathed to my companions. They both let out the air they had been holding in their apprehension. I grabbed the son of Poseidon's shoulder and shook him lightly.

"Percy?" I asked softly.

Percy's eyes opened slightly and he slowly raised his head to face me. "Zoë?" he whispered hoarsely. Relief washed through me.

"It is alright, Percy," I assured him. "We will get you to help." Percy nodded weakly before his head fell forward and he lost consciousness again. I began to drag Percy's arm over my shoulders, but Tyson stopped me and picked up Percy like he weighed nothing.

"Come on, we have to find somewhere safer," I said. They didn't say anything, but followed me back into the darkness.

After what might have been several hours or just a few minutes, we came to a cave where stalactites hung low from the ceiling. In the center of the dirt floor was a rectangular pit, like a grave.

Grover shivered. "It smells like the Underworld in here."

Then I saw something glinting at the edge of the pit—a foil wrapper. I shined my flashlight into the hole and saw a half-chewed cheeseburger floating in brown carbonated muck.

"This is not good," I commented. "Someone has been summoning spirits here, and recently."

"How do you know?" Grover asked.

"There was once a daughter of Hades in the Hunt many years ago," I explained. "She summoned spirits on occasions and this is how she did it, albeit with more… traditional means." I finished with a glance at the soda and hamburger wrappings.

"Does that mean that Hades broke the oath, too?" Grover asked.

"No," I said to his surprise. "Nico is a son of Hades." Grover was shocked at this new development. I quickly filled him in on everything Percy and I had learned about the di Angelo children.

"So that's why they were in the Lotus Hotel," Grover said. "Hades wanted to have children for when the prophecy began."

"Or something of the sort," I agreed. "Either way, this shows that Nico is alive and in the Labyrinth. This could be a good thing, or a very bad thing."

"Why would it be bad?" Grover asked. "Nico was such a nice little kid."

"Yes, well, our last meeting ended… rather violently," I said. "He blamed Percy for Bianca's death. When, in reality, I bear the most responsibility."

"Can you tell which way he went?" Grover asked. I looked around the small area, taking in multiple signs of passage.

"Yes, he goes this way," I said pointing down yet another dark passage. "But, he appears to be alone,"

"Is that also a bad thing?" Grover asked.

"Who in their right mind would wander the Labyrinth alone?" I asked rhetorically. "Even for a child of Hades, Nico is young and inexperienced. That he would come here alone, it is unsettling to say the least."

"Should we follow him?"

"What choice do we have?" I replied. Grover didn't respond and I took this as an indication to lead the way.

The path was much easier to follow than our previous one; this was due to the freshness of it. Nico had not passed through this place that long ago; we continued to progress through long, dark corridors and chambers of varying time eras until we reached the end of the trail.

"It's a cattle guard," Grover said.

"A cattle guard?" I asked incredulously. "Nico went to a ranch?"

"Apparently," the satyr said. "This _is_ where the trail ends, right?"

"Yes, he is here," I confirmed. "How do we get it opened?" Tyson walked past me and slammed the cattle guard with both of his hands, causing it to fly off and land with a thud. It was accompanied by a startled MOO!

Tyson lifted Grover and I out before handing Percy's limp body to us and climbing out himself. We were on a ranch, all right. Rolling hills stretched to the horizon, dotted with oak trees and cactuses and boulders. A barbed wire fence ran from the gate in either direction. Cherry-colored cows roamed around, grazing on clumps of grass.

"Apollo's cattle?" I wondered aloud before realization hit me. "Oh no, not _this _place."

"What's the matter?" Grover asked. Before I could answer though, a distant sound, the baying of dogs, was heard nearby. The sound got louder until a two-headed dog emerged from the underbrush and snarl at us from its twin heads. I sighed as my suspicions were confirmed. The dog, Orthus, was quickly followed by his immortal master. Eurytion had not changed much since the last time I had seen him, except that his club now had spikes embedded in the business end.

"What've we here?" he asked, evidently not recognizing me. "Cattle rustlers?"

"It's nice to see you again too, Eurytion," I said sarcastically. The cowherd eyed me suspiciously for several seconds before his eyes lit up with recognition.

"Zoë, that you?" he asked in disbelief. "Dang, almost didn't recognize you with your posse of hunters. You traveling with boys now?"

"In a manner of speaking," I replied. "Listen, I don't want to be here anymore than the next person, but our friend needs help." I nodded towards Percy as I finished. Eurytion looked at Percy with mild surprise.

"What happened to him?" he asked. "He pick a fight with the hunters?" Eurytion was joking, but my next words wiped the grin from his face.

"Sparti," I said bluntly. "Four of them have been chasing him through the Labyrinth for a few days now." Eurytion looked between Percy and me with open disbelief on his face.

"How his that boy alive?" he asked to no one in particular. "Are they still following him? Did you lose them?" he glanced apprehensively at the Labyrinth entrance, as if expecting the terrifying monsters to jump out at any moment.

"Three of them are dead, I have no idea what happened to the other one," I explained. Eurytion calmed slightly, but was still tense.

"Well, we might be able to help out your friend," Eurytion said at last. "But, knowing Geryon, it won't be cheap."

"Knowing Geryon," I repeated. "But, we don't have much choice. I cannot tell how long Percy has before it is too late." Eurytion nodded.

"Well, standing out here in the heat sure ain't helpin' your friend," the cowherd said. He began walking back the way he had come, Orthus followed obediently at his master's heels.

"Who is this guy?" Grover asked.

"Eurytion, son of Ares, he is the cowherd for this ranch," I explained. "His father gave him immortality years ago and he somehow found his way into Geryon's service. The hunters came here once many years ago. Artemis and the others didn't care much for him, but he and I found common ground."

"What common ground?" the satyr asked.

"We both hated Heracles," I said, old hatred arose from saying his name. "Collecting Apollo's cattle from Geryon was his tenth labor. He killed Eurytion when he was forced to fight due to Geryon's cowardice. Not that it did him much good."

"So, is he on our side?" Grover asked. I pondered the question for several seconds.

"Not exactly, he is bound to this place and that generally means he follows Geryon's every command," I said. "But, it could go either way."

We walked the rest of the way in silence until the ranch house came into view. I hadn't seen it last time, but there was not that much to see. It was rather modest in my opinion. A building that gave Geryon the comforts he desired, but at a manageable price.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" the voice of Geryon called from the porch. "If it isn't the great huntress herself, how have you been, Zoë?" I glared at the three-bodied man before me and he only laughed.

"Same as always, I suppose," he turned to Eurytion. "Talk to me, Eurytion."

"Came out of the Labyrinth, the boy was being chased by Sparti apparently," the cowherd said. Geryon raised his slim eyebrows in disbelief.

"Sparti?" he repeated. "Well, um, they're not still chasing you, are they?"

"Maybe, they could show up at any moment," I said still glaring at Geryon. The freak of nature paled a bit before he caught on to my sarcasm. He then returned my glare.

"Fine then, what do you want here, Nightshade?" Geryon asked. My reply was cut off by a new arrival.

Nico di Angelo came out of the glass doors onto the porch. "Geryon, I won't wait for—"

He froze when he saw us and drew his sword; a one-meter long piece of sharp black metal that sapped the warmth from the air; Stygian Iron.

Geryon snarled when he saw it. "Put that away, Mr. di Angelo. I ain't gonna have my guests killin' each other."

"But that's—," Nico began.

"Zoë Nightshade, Percy Jackson, if I'm not mistaken, and a couple of their monster friends," Geryon said flippantly.

"Monster friends?" Grover said indignantly.

"That man is wearing three shirts," Tyson said, like he was just realizing this.

"They let my sister die!" Nico's voice trembled with rage. "They're here to kill me!"

"Nico, we are not here to kill you." I raised my hands. "What happened to Bianca was—"

"Shut up!" he yelled and pointed his sword at me again. "It's because of you that Bianca went on that quest! It's because of you and him that she died!"

"Mr. di Angelo, put that ugly sword away before I have Eurytion take it from you." Eurytion sighed, but he hefted his spiked club. At his feet, Orthus growled.

Nico hesitated. He looked thinner and paler than I had ever seen him. I wondered if he'd eaten in the last week. His black clothes were dusty from traveling in the Labyrinth, and his dark eyes were full of hate. He was too young to look so angry. I felt pity for him, even if he was a boy.

Reluctantly, he sheathed his sword. "If any of you come near me, I'll summon help. You don't want to meet my helpers, I promise."

I nodded.

"Now, back to our previous discussion," Geryon said. "What does Miss Nightshade want from ole Geryon?"

"In case you haven't noticed, our friend is badly injured," I said indicating Percy who hung limply in Tyson's arms.

"So he is, so he is," Geryon said nodding. "What am I supposed to do about it? Do I look like a healer to you?" I was seconds away from just killing him and making this whole situation that much simpler.

"We don't need your aid," I said through clenched teeth. "Just some space for Percy to rest and some medical supplies."

"Hmm, I don't know," he said rubbing his double chin. "That sounds an awful lot like charity to me." I clenched my fists even harder.

"The longer we are here, the more likely that Spartus is going to return," I threatened. Geryon paled at the mention of the monster.

"Maybe we can come to an agreement," he said. I took a step forward.

"Listen, I won't let Percy die because of you and your greed, Geryon!" I shouted.

"Eurytion," Geryon said in a frightened voice when I stepped forward. Eurytion looked conflicted before hesitantly stepping in front of his master.

"Sorry, Zoë," he said with genuine sadness in his voice. "But, I'm gonna have to ask you to step back." I looked in disbelief at the cowherd. But, I did step back.

"Take their weapons," Geryon said. Eurytion hesitated again, but confiscated my bow and knife. Grover's "weapons" consisted of his reed pipes and a tin can, whereas Tyson did not need weapons to be dangerous. Geryon ordered Eurytion to tie us up. The son of Ares tried to talk him out of it, but to no avail. Tyson was locked up in Celestial Bronze chains that must have weighed a ton, Grover and I had thick ropes tied around our hands. Eurytion did not tighten mine very well; I could slip out of it only too easily. I raised an eyebrow and the cowherd gave me a discreet wink before taking his place at Geryon's side.

"Now then, Eurytion, take Poseidon's boy in and keep him alive," Geryon ordered. "I don't think our friends in the Titan army would appreciate him dying before the got their way with him." Eurytion grunted and took Percy into the ranch house. Anger welled inside me at the mention of the Titans. I knew it was a bad idea to be here.

"Geryon, we still have business to discuss," Nico said impatiently.

"Yes, about that," Geryon responded. "Tie him up too." These last words were directed at Eurytion.

"Why?" the cowherd asked. Geryon looked angry now.

"The Titans pay good money for Half-Bloods, especially powerful ones," Geryon explained. "Just tie him up, or else." The threat didn't seem to impress the large son of Ares, but he grudgingly complied with Geryon's command. Nico unsheathed his sword again.

"Don't come near me," he warned.

"Or what, you call your ghost to come help you?" Geryon mocked. "Speaking of which, where's he gone off to; I haven't seen him in a while?"

Nico looked uneasy. "He can't form in broad daylight. It's hard for him, but he's around somewhere."

Geryon smiled. "I'm sure. Minos likes to disappear when things get…difficult."

"Minos?" I exclaimed. "You have been traveling with that madman?" Nico glared at me and ignored my outburst. As Nico was distracted, Eurytion jumped forward and wrenched his sword from his grasp. Nico did not put up much of a challenge after that, and was soon bound in a similar fashion to us.

"Now that that is settled," Geryon said confidently. "Eurytion, go watch the Labyrinth entrance. I don't want that Spartus getting in here too soon." Eurytion looked at Geryon like he was crazy before shaking his head and walking off with Orthus close behind. He gave me one last wink before he was out of sight.

"Wait here," Geryon said as if we could go anywhere. "I have some calls to make to the Titans." He began to walk off before I slipped my hands from the ropes and threw a rock at his head.

"What the—?" Geryon cried out. He glared furiously at me and reached for two nearby carving knives and wielded them in his arms at the ends of his three-bodied midsection. I noted that if I could get in close enough, I could stab him in his middle chests without having to worry about his knives. I did not know where Eurytion had put my bow, but I saw my hunting knife and grabbed it.

"You just earned yourself a one way trip to Nico's daddy, Nightshade," Geryon snarled.

"Erre es korakas," I replied in a steely calm voice. Geryon shook with rage and charged forward. I ducked underneath his clumsy, rage filled swings and planted my knife through his heart from the back. Geryon fell to the ground in pain and I waited for him to dissolve into golden dust. What I did not expect, however, was for him to rise back to his feet looking angrier than ever.

"Nice try, Nightshade," he said somewhat smugly. "Thing is, I have three hearts. The perfect backup system."

I backed away further as his swings became ever more erratic and furious. I would have been able to do this until he tired himself out, if I had not found myself against a wall. I looked to either side and saw my escape routes blocked off. Geryon bore down on me with his knives.

"Say 'hi' to Hades for me," he said menacingly. He lunged forward, but I jumped and used his head as a springboard to leap over him. Unfortunately, my landing was much less graceful than my jump. I landed roughly and rolled several times before coming to a stop next to the barbecue pit; my head spinning. I saw a shadow pass over me and looked up at the triumphant face of Geryon. I closed my eyes in anticipation for the pain as his knives came down on me. I never felt it. I opened my eyes to see a shocked expression on Geryon's face as he slowly disintegrated into a pile of golden dust. I looked to my left to see an arrow shaft jutting out from an oak tree. I looked to my left to see Percy, leaning heavily against an open doorframe with an empty bow in his hands.

"Does that count as a bulls-eye?" he asked sarcastically with a weak smile spreading across his face. I rolled my eyes at his attempt at humor.

"How are you?" I asked seriously. He was obviously still very weak and I was surprised to see him awake and walking around so soon after his ordeal. His smile vanished and he looked down at his body.

"I've been better," he said bluntly. "You?"

"Same," I said as I rose to untie our friends. Tyson wanted to give Percy a bear hug, but Percy and I dissuaded him on the fact that such an experience would probably kill him in his current state. Grover too refrained from physical contact, he knew how much pain his friend was in better that any of us due to their Empathy Link. Nico glared at the son of Poseidon. Percy noticed and a look of guilt washed over his features.

"Um, hi, Nico," Percy said tentatively.

"Don't even talk to me," the son of Hades said darkly. "It's because of you Bianca is dead, but I intend to bring her back."

"A soul for a soul," Percy said. Nico looked surprised, but nodded. "But, not _my _soul." Now Nico looked disgusted.

"You? Why would I want you? Bianca's soul is worth a thousand of yours!" Nico spat.

"Then who are you after?" Percy asked.

"I'm not explaining anything to you!" He blinked tears out of his eyes. "And I will bring her back."

"Bianca would not want to be brought back," I told Nico sadly. "Not like that." Nico turned his anger towards me now.

"You didn't know her!" he shouted. "How do you know what she'd want?"

"She wouldn't want this," Percy said. Nico spun back to him. He reached for his sword that was not there and looked around for it. Like me bow, it was nowhere to be found.

"What do you know, Jackson?" Nico said angrily.

"I know that she cared about you more than anything in the world," Percy said. "And I know that she wouldn't want you to be like this." Nico calmed down slightly, but still looked at Percy darkly.

We did not continue further, as Eurytion chose that moment to return. He glanced at the dust pile and smiled slightly.

"I trust he wasn't too much trouble for you," he said.

"Actually, he was," I said sheepishly. "He would have killed me if not for Percy." Eurytion looked at Percy and his eyes widened in surprise.

That so?" he asked. "Well, I guess I should say thank you." Percy nodded.

"No problem," he said. "Zoë did all the work anyway, I just finished him off."

"Like with the Nemean Lion," I commented. Percy smiled despite himself at the memory.

"Exactly, though I doubt you'd want the reward this time," he said glancing at Geryon's leftover boots and hat. I gave a small laugh and Percy looked better after it.

"Well, before you leave," Eurytion said to Percy. "You've got to tell me about your scrape with the Sparti." Percy mood darkened at the mention of the creatures.

"Yeah, I'd like to know too," Grover added.

"Me too," Tyson said. "I want to hear how you made them dead."

"I guess I could," he said reluctantly. "But, we're not done yet, Nico."

"I just want to talk to her," he said sadly, most of the anger had left his face to be replaced with grief. Where moments ago there had been a son of Hades out for revenge, there now stood a little boy who had lost his sister and did not know what to do. Percy looked at Nico sadly and I remembered what he had told me, about the cloaked man and his actions against our fallen friends.

"I don't think you can, Nico," Percy said softly. Nico looked angry again.

"Why not?" he asked. "I'm a son of Hades. I command the dead."

"Bianca is more than dead, Nico," I said in the same caring tone as Percy. Everyone looked at us curiously.

"What do you mean?" Nico asked with mixed emotions in his voice, part anger, part misunderstanding, and part sorrow.

I looked at Percy and he hesitated before shaking his head.

"We can't tell you, Nico," he said. Nico looked like he was going to speak, but ended up crying instead. We all stood out there in silence as Nico let out his grief until long after the sun had set.

* * *

"_Why did you call me back?" the skeleton asked its master. "Why did you prevent me from ending the prey's miserable life?" _

_His master turned to him and stared into his yellow eyes until he flinched._

"_Because you could not have killed him as you were," he said finally._

"_What do you mean?" the Spartus asked. "He was trapped and weak."_

"_Yes, he was a cornered animal," his master agreed dryly. "But, like all corned animals, desperation grants them strength; strength you would not have been able to overcome on your own. Tis a pity that your brothers died, I would loved to have that pathetic half-blood out of the way." _

"_I would have killed him, master," the Spartus growled. His master raised an eyebrow at his servant's hostility._

"_Do not fool yourself, Alpha," he said, completely calm despite the dangerous creature before him. "My sisters favor the boy and would have aided him. You should count yourself luck that they refrained from doing so sooner." The monster shook with rage at the belittlement of his master, but calmed down as he accepted the truth of his words._

"_What are your orders, master?" he asked grudgingly, he kneeled. An amused smile appeared on his master's face. _

"_Here," he said tossing a sealed scroll to the skeleton. Alpha opened the scroll to see a list of names. He looked over the list and turned to his master. _

"_What manner of prey are these?" he asked. They all appeared to be mortal females._

"_The kind that cannot be allowed to live," he responded in his ever-present monotone. "While not a threat at the moment, they cannot be allowed to become threats. You will kill all those on the list, then report back here." _

_The Spartus saluted before walking towards the elevator that would lead to the ground floor of the Empire State Building. His master remained on the roof and gazed out across the New York Skyline. _

'_Do you feel it, sisters?' he thought to himself. 'Do you feel your demise approaching; the time when your precious Oracle will not be there to defeat me.'_

_The man smiled to himself before winking out of existence, off to his next target._

* * *

**La Fine... just kidding, this is only the beginning. However, I would like to address an old topic. Reviews.**_  
_

**I'm not bringing back the Review Quota, but I'd still like more input from all of you. Some of you noticed that, earlier in the story, I was kind of a bitch when it came to reviews. What you all have to understand is that this story is just a means to an end. The primary reason I began writing it is to develop my skills as a writer. I make mistakes, but it is sometimes hard for me to see them, and even harder for me to correct them. I need your help to fix those mistakes and help this story become the best it can be. _Lioness94_ has helped out tremendously as my Beta for this story, but your input is also needed. Please think on this.**

**On a happy note, this is this third Friday in a row that I've managed an update. I don't want to jinx anything, but I might finally have an actual schedule for this train wreck we call a story. **

**Recommendations:**

**I actually don't have any new stories here this time. I've spent more time writing than reading when on FanFiction the last few weeks. In addition to exams and fútbol, most of my free time is thoroughly spent.**

**Trivia: _"If you build it, he will come." __  
_**

**Arrivederci**


	15. Dear Readers

Dear Readers,

I'm sure that this isn't what you want to see, but I'm writing this to inform you that I won't be updating my stories anymore. I hate myself for doing this, but I feel that this is the best option for me. To elaborate, I just don't have my muse for either story anymore. If more chapters come, I expect that they would be below my usual standard.

So, I'm putting both 'The Hands of Fate' and 'The Flames of Chaos' up for adoption. If interested in claiming them, pm me and we'll go from there.

That is all. Arrivederci.


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